Did you know that Durango School District 9-R is considering using the funds from ballot Issue 4A to relocate Miller Middle School to the Riverview sports complex on Plymouth Avenue?
That sounded different than I remembered, so I looked at the Nov. 3, 2020, General Election Informational booklet. Here are the words used in the booklet:
“Renovate and rebuild Miller Middle School to address safety, security and educational needs of the students and staff.”
I voted “yes” on the bond. Full disclosure: My wife and I are parents to three school-aged children in the 9-R schools. I firmly believe in sufficient and efficient funding for education. I dislike tax increases. In my opinion, this bond met both needs.
I trusted the work of the Long Range Planning Committee. 9-R is now using the word “relocate,” which has a different definition from the words “renovate and rebuild.” Had I known that 9-R was considering relocating Miller to a heavily used open space, I would have voted “No.”
The purpose of this letter is to let the community of baseball players, soccer players, volleyball players, Spikeball players, kickball players, Frisbee throwers, ball throwers, rocket launchers, drone flyers, kite flyers, dog walkers, parents with strollers, cross-country skiers, people who simply gather with friends on the grass, the occasional Riverview Elementary School gym class – and all other users of this great open space – to be aware.
Would you have voted “yes” if this relocation option were disclosed? I suspect many would say no.
Andrew Carozza
Durango
