What's an expert?

Dear Editor,

What does it take to be an expert? When Mr. Ehlers was introduced as an expert, his response was that the only thing that qualified him as an expert was the fact that he was more than 100 miles from home. 

Would the committee that has worked for the two school districts trying to come up with a sound and reasonable recommendation be considered experts if they lived over 100 miles from here and would have been paid for their efforts?

These people, your friends and family, have sent out surveys, talked with administrators and staff from other schools, studied building design, efficiencies and inefficiencies of our buildings and new buildings, looked at water and sewer regulations and requirements, also what it would take to renovate our existing building to get them up to safe standards that are set by and enforced by the state. Then they are asked to come up with an exact budget for the proposed new school. Even if you could come up with a budget for a school that has not been built the words "exact" and "budget" should never be used in the same sentence.

They have shown us what our costs of operating the two districts are at present and what the current operating budgets for 18 similar sized districts are, and the savings that could be realized. 

The people who were on this committee have done a tremendous job of compiling and presenting the patrons of the two school districts with all the information that is needed to make a well informed, intelligent decision when casting their vote on the proposed school merger.

The only question left to answer is. Do the people of the Twin Valley and Republican Valley School districts want more than one high school in Red Willow county? 

Thank You.

Mike Daffer

Danbury