Questionable math on school reconstruction

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

For more of your opinions, go to www.gazette.net/letters.

David Tiktinsky, Bethesda

The report of the task force to look at options for Seven Locks Elementary School used questionable math. The estimators demonstrated that they wanted to show that building a replacement elementary school on Kendale road would cost less than building at the current SLES site no matter what the facts indicate. What did they do to skew the costs?

The authors of the report used a different methodology for the option of rebuilding at the current site and increased construction costs by 25 percent compared to building at Kendale road. They also included $1.4 million for off-site improvements at the current site and $0 for the Kendale site despite its undeveloped state. Design costs were not included for the Kendale option.

A fair cost evaluation of the options, using the same methodology and cost bases would show that rebuilding at the current site is the least expensive option as noted earlier by the Inspector General.

Montgomery County Public Schools, the superintendent and the school board should be ashamed of themselves for continuing to mislead the public in their desire to build a school at Kendale road. SLES should be rebuilt where it has been for more than 40 years, where it is supported by the community and where it belongs, at the current location.