I’m voting no on the Yarmouth school bonds.

I chaired the 1996 and 1998 Yarmouth school facilities committees. Our detailed architectural plan was rejected by the Town Council; subsequently a new building committee was appointed, a bond was approved, and construction began around 2002. It had taken six years to get the plan right for Yarmouth.

The current effort feels rushed. When my committee’s plan was rejected, we made all the standard warnings: costs will only go up, the kids are here now so we can’t delay, teachers are less effective when they have to move from room to room or building to building, etc.

None of that proved harmful to our kids’ learning, and I should know: all four of my children were in school at the time. A two-year effort doesn’t meet Yarmouth’s standard for agonizingly thorough analysis and consensus building. We need a reality check.

Jane Gildart
Yarmouth