Okay, I’m on my soap box, so forgive me for getting so riled up but when I found out that the San Mateo Union High School District was more than $50 million dollars in the red, I saw red.  How can this district be so cavalier as to think they could sweep this deficit under the rug?

The story goes that the $144 million bond voted in  by the citizens of the district to remodel the six high school campuses several years ago wasn’t enough money.  Cost over runs, you know, changes, screw ups, the usual thing where no one was really watching.  So the district decided to take out loans to cover the over runs expecting to pay the loans back with developer fees, as well as other fees that float into the county annually.  Except, $20 million wasn’t enough…. oops how about another $15 million?  And, guess what?  They did it another time getting another $15 million for a total of $50 million.  Yup, they did the same thing, taking out another loan with the same repayment plan.  Guess how this huge over run was listed?  As Certificates of Participation or COPs. COPs is a process that municipalities us to fund capital improvements.

Top add insult to injury, some of the contractors are now involved in litigation with the school district for the tune of $23 million, and all of this was kept quiet.  Very, very quiet.  Until the beginning of February.  The high school board had the gaul to go back to the voters and ask for another bond thinking that we wouldn’t vote for a tax assessment to cover the now, $73 million in debt. The bond can’t be used to relieve the debt so the district is trying to balance their screw up on the back of our teachers, with lay-offs, and in reduction of programs for the students.

I have a much better idea.  Recall the entire board. Throw them out.  They have shirked their fiduciary duty to the voters and the students in the district. In fact, when we get rid of them I think it’s time to reconsider who the Superintendent is because he’s involve just like the the idio