Letter: Reader claims Measure D is not needed

The San Mateo Union High School District claims it needs $269.3 million dollars to effect repairs on its six high schools. That comes out to an average of about $44.8 million per school. The taxpayers within the district are expected to pick up $137.5 of this amount.

THEIR NUMBERS ARE WAY OUT OF LINE!

Neighboring Sequoia High School District just did repairs on older schools than ours for only $12 million each. If we were to repair our high schools using real numbers instead of inflated ones it would cost our school district about $72 million.

ALL THE MONEY THAT IS REQUIRED IS WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S PRESENT ASSETS WITHOUT PASSING A BOND!

Here's how is works:

As part of their plan, the school district has estimated a mind boggling cost of $54.7 million to patch up seismically unsafe Capuchino High School in San Bruno. Yet their newest school, Crestmoor sits right up the hill and hasn't been used as a comprehensive high school for 20 years. By moving the kids to Crestmoor and selling the 39 acre Capuchino site at present market value of $1.5 million per acre, the District could make $58.5 million rather than spend $54.7 million.

If you add the $58.5 million Capuchino sale to the $36 million in matching funds they received from the state, it totals $94.5 million in assets.

THAT'S ENOUGH TO REPAIR ALL SIX SCHOOLS WITH A SURPLUS OF $22.5 MILLION - money that could be put to good use like a start toward building a badly needed new high school in the southern part of the district (total cost, $29 million according to State Department of Education guidelines.)

The San Mateo Union High School District needs to get real in evaluating their needs, costs and assets. Until they do, I'm voting "NO" ON MEASURE 'D'.

Don Larsen

San Mateo