A group of residents are pushing back against the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District’s decision to build a new middle school, citing misleading cost estimates, writes Maddie Hanna for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The current school building, constructed in 1971, has many classrooms without windows. According to district officials, the space is maxed out, and the bathrooms are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, among other issues.
After reviewing all available options, including renovating the current building, district officials decided the best option is to completely replace the building. The cost of a new school would add around $42 a year for the average taxpayer.
However, according to some residents, the cost would be much higher and would come out to $20,000 per average taxpayer, over a 25-year period.
The group submitted a complaint to the board earlier this week where they accuse the district of providing “grossly incomplete, misleading, and biased” analyses, failing to communicate the full cost of the project, and overstating the cost of maintaining the current building.
“They’re frankly not telling the truth,” said Mark Stookey, a resident spearheading the opposition. “They don’t know what they’re doing.”
Read more about the Unionville-Chadds Ford middle school issue at The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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