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We need a new elementary school in Prince Edward County. I don’t think anyone alive can argue with that statement. But, as was pointed out multiple times in the paper’s last story, we can’t afford a completely new building. Prince Edward doesn’t have that kind of money. One might argue it doesn’t help the money situation when supervisors continue spending it on flag lawsuits they know they’ll lose, but I digress. 

So alright, we’re not looking in the new car lot. That’s ok. Used cars can work just as good if we’re selective about the ones we pick. And here’s where I come to applaud a decision by the county. Option 3, the choice they picked, was the best one available. According to the article, it’s a complete renovation. Even more important, it’ll fix the traffic headache we all have to deal with. And yes, I mean all. Even if you don’t have kids, when traffic backs all the way up to the road during drop-off in the morning, it’s a problem. 

Now here comes the uncomfortable part. We have to pay for this, no matter what that takes. For some reason, the General Assembly has just decided that Prince Edward doesn’t really deserve approval for a 1 cent sales tax increase, that would cover the cost. I’ve yet to hear any good reason for that, seeing as they gave the same thing to a number of other counties. I also don’t hear or see our delegation really rushing to support the idea either.

Thanks for nothing, gentlemen. But no matter why, this is the reality we have to deal with. After trying to get it passed for several years, I think it’s safe to say we’re just not going to get that approved. So like normal, it’ll be up to Prince Edward residents to pay the bill. And as such, I have no doubt we’re gonna hear people grumbling about how we need to trim back on the cost, we need to cut corners and make this cheaper.

No, we don’t. If we ever want any legitimate business to eye this county for expansion, they’ll need to see a good school system, not a bunch of crumbling buildings, filled with mold and held together with duct tape and wire, because that’s the cheapest way to do it. We need to do the hard thing, to invest in our future. 

Scott Denny

Prince Edward County