I’m writing in case it helps some decide how to vote on the upcoming $7.3M CSD bond issue. I will be voting in support of the bond. But two weeks ago I was going to vote against it. What changed my mind? 

Last week I attended the information meeting hosted by the CSD Board. I arrived with a number of questions which informed my vote against the bond. The first - what’s the rush? Why call a special vote? Turns out the staff and Board have been working hard for more than a year getting the information together needed for this vote. They only just assembled the information at the beginning of November. So why not wait until the June vote? Waiting means we’ll miss construction time this coming summer, we’ll have to make our existing systems work somehow for another year (throwing money down the drain so to speak), and there’s a good chance prices for materials will go up if we wait a year. And, I learned bonds are only available twice a year, Feb and Aug. 

My next question was why replace a beautiful natural field with artificial turf? The board and admin agrees that natural fields are the best option, there just aren’t enough fields for open field sports like soccer and lacrosse. Sports participation at the HS is high, which is just what we want it to be. That means lots of demand on the fields. The CSD Board has been wrestling with solving the issue of insufficient field space for years.

The problem has been exacerbated by the recent requirement for schools to have two access/egress points for emergencies. The addition of the access road to/from the elementary school was a good one, solving the egress issue for both elementary and HS for the price of one road. But that road ate up a good chunk of the lower practice field. As a result, students have even less field access. I hadn’t realized the Board has been exploring options of building a new grass field for years, but about a year ago the Army Corps said there were no locations on the current property that could be used, due to different factors. Using artificial turf will allow more sports access to the field because access won’t be limited by wet/soft fields or by overuse. The Board and administration would prefer a greener option, but artificial turf is the best solution given the options we have. 

Finally, I wondered why we weren’t trying to repair the existing geothermal heating/cooling system. Same question for the windows and the siding. Turns out we have been repairing both, since almost the time each were installed. And yes, it seems the builders were penalized for their shoddy work. But that still leaves us with the need to do something. Given the Administration’s and Board’s desire for the greenest solutions, I trust the replacement options they suggest. Same with the Strom needs. 

And that’s why I’m voting for this bond.  

Geoff Scott lives in Camden