ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 22, 1996 TAG: 9604230029
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ED KOHINKE
THERE'S an old truth that I always try to keep in mind when dealing with government issues: You can shoot down all of the possible solutions to a problem, but in the end you're still left with the problem, which is only going to get worse for want of a solution.
The majority of the handful of voters who bothered to turn out for Roanoke County's bond referendum on April 2 shot down the best possible solution to a real problem, a problem that did not go away, and will now only get worse.
The solution of choice to the real problem of overcrowded and worn-out school facilities in Southwest Roanoke County - to build a new high school and convert the old one into a middle school - is the best of all possible solutions. That's not to say that it's a perfect solution (there's no such thing); I'm just stating that it's the best of all the alternatives that have been studied rather extensively for the past several years.
Yes, contrary to much of the misinformed criticism from the referendum's opponents, this issue has been ``studied to death,'' and action should actually have been taken to start construction on a new school several years ago.
If the people who sit on Roanoke County's Board of Supervisors and the School Board are ``guilty'' of anything in this issue, they didn't work hard or smart enough to sell their position to the voters. I think they operated under the assumption that ``surely everyone will see the wisdom in what we're doing, and this referendum will sell itself.''
A great plan, but lousy execution, and now the naysayers are in control of education in Roanoke County.
Sorry, folks, but throwing money into a major overhaul of Cave Spring Junior High, plus adding on to the present Cave Spring High, is actually one of the worst possible solutions, one that will end up costing us more money over the long run.
The plan to build a new Cave Spring High School was unanimously supported for several years by the previous School Board, which was appointed and not considered very accountable to the taxpayers. It is now unanimously supported by an all-new board that was freely elected and considered directly accountable to the voters.
Additionally, the plan is something the Board of Supervisors, both past and present, almost unanimously supports. (One supervisor, who was ``neutral,'' at least agrees that some form of new facilities will be needed to address the problems.)
Instead of patching things up in Southwest Roanoke County to ``make do'' for another few years (when another reckoning will surely be forced upon us), our Board of Supervisors and the School Board should come right back at us with a new and improved referendum in time for this fall's election. Dust off the plan, ``fine tune'' it where needed, and make a bona fide attempt to address some of the issues raised this winter and spring.
But don't give up: If it was a good idea before April 2, it remains a good idea now. And, if nine out of 10 of our key elected officials with varying degrees of responsibility and authority for our school system wholeheartedly supported the bond referendum, the plan must have a lot of merit to it.
If these citizen legislators and policymakers are willing to stand by their convictions on this issue, those of us who ``pay the freight'' in Roanoke County owe them a fairer and more honest hearing in another referendum.
In any case, the fate of education in Roanoke County - our ``flagship'' service - shouldn't be decided by such a small number of voters: Better to leave such a decision up to our elected representatives, if turnout for such an important vote will be so low.
Ed Kohinke is a former supervisor on the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors, where he represented the Catawba District.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 linesby CNB