Board needs lesson in leadership

Dear Editor,

Lehighton Area School Board wants to build, build, build with little or no regard to those who must foot the bill. Based on reports, 47 percent of students in the district receive either reduced or free lunches. How can people living in poverty afford a $50 million mortgage? They can't!

Concerns aired at school board meetings about the taxpayers' ability to pay appear to fall on deaf ears.

Why isn't this project placed on a ballot referendum for all taxpayers to vote on? Shouldn't those who must pay the bill have the right to approve or disapprove the project? If a majority favor the project, we build. If a majority are opposed, then we maintain what we have. This should be leadership 101.

The high school is only about 20 years old and needs over $9 million in repairs and upgrades. Yet the school board is talking about a 30-year mortgage. Where does this make any sense? In 20 years, with 10 years left to pay on the new mortgage, will we need to spend another $10 million to repair this new building? Who is in charge of common sense on this board?

Who elected these nearsighted, tax-borrow-and-spend people to the Lehighton school board? We the voters did! This is exactly what we get for electing people based on a popularity contest rather than asking the tough questions and finding out what candidates stand for before voting.

The good news is that 2015 is a local election year. The taxpayers must be better informed before casting a ballot. Don't just listen to their rhetoric. Watch their actions and check their record. From where I sit, common sense IS leadership 101 and it's time to send many of our politicians back to school.

Duane A. Dellecker

Lehighton