One of the most unbelievable statements to come out of the SPLOST meeting held last Thursday was the school board’s insistence that funds from the school bond referendum “had” to be used to build River’s Elementary School, a school that most people now admit we do not need.

This is simply not true; they did not “have” to build an unneeded school.

The actual bond referendum that was passed stated specifically that bond proceeds were to be used to build new schools and improve technology throughout the school system.

Comptroller Laura Brock was technically correct when she stated that any unused funding would by law be returned to the taxpayers.

What she failed to point out was that Georgia law specifically allows for funds to be transferred from one program to another if there is no longer a need for a specific project.

Therefore, the $10-million Rivers elementary project could have been used to fund the technology improvement project.

The school board, however, opted to rush headlong by a 4-1 vote (Marion Key dissenting) to build Rivers Elementary. Very, very little bond money, if any, went to fund those “technology improvements.”

Now the school board is telling us we need a SPLOST to fund those same technology improvements that could have easily been funded via the bond issue.

Bob Jensen

Peachtree City, Ga.