The LuLac Edition #3494, May 10th, 2017

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

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SCHOOL BOARD NEEDS MAINTENANCE PLAN AS WELL AS BUILDING PLAN

This week’s “Write On Wednesday” deals with the building plan of the Wilkes Barre Area School Board. Wilkes Barre resident and former Mayoral candidate Brian Kelly makes the point that with the school, Iif they build it, students will come!” But is there a plan to maintain the buildings long range? Here are his thoughts.
Editor:
With over $300 million in building assets to protect, where is the qualified Wilkes-Barre Area School District facilities director?
There was a recent attempt by a well-meaning former school board member to make some order out of the chaos the Wilkes-Barre Area School Board has created. His suggestion was to build a smaller school and replace Coughlin High School with a new school in the vicinity of the Solomon complex. I commend him. His idea is better than the board’s. However, I do not agree that we need a new school at all.
Our school board controls over $300 million in property assets and yet it uses a rag-tag maintenance force of political appointees to keep the properties in repair. I have written a number of articles, some published by The Citizens’ Voice and on www.savewbschools.com that talk about a real solution that will last a long, long time. There should be no new school construction or it too will fail, decay and crumble like so many of the buildings in the district.
A trip to the Wilkes-Barre School Area District’s main webpage shows the importance that the “Building and Grounds Department” for $300 million in assets has in the scheme of things. There is not a mention of a building plan or maintenance plan or a maintenance team or a maintenance/facilities leader on the site.
And, so when buildings self-destruct because there is no plan to keep them in good shape, should the taxpayers be surprised? Where is the leadership in the district for facilities planning, engineering, construction and maintenance? Are we now expected to turn over the new
$100 million school to a building and grounds unit that has proven that it cannot do the job?
Brian Kelly
Wilkes-Barre