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As the late Yogi Berra once said, "It's déjá vu all over again". Just 6 months after the referendum was defeated to spend millions of dollars on a new school, the school board and administration are going to have another go at it. And just like the last time, there is only one polling place: the Remer school. If this school referendum is such a great idea, then why is the school board disenfranchising the voters of Outing, Boy River, Federal Dam and Longville? Everyone who owns property in those areas pays taxes too, not just the property owners in Remer.

I also wonder about all the money being spent on "technology" at Northland. According to what the test scores are for this school, the laptops and I-pads don't seem to be helping much. Another recent letter to the editor stated that as a MN Focus School, "Remer Elementary is functioning in the bottom 10% of Minnesota elementary schools." Pouring millions of dollars into building a new school will not help this. Approving salary lane changes for teachers, as was reported in the August 20, 2015 Board meeting minutes for 4 Northland teachers, will not help improve reading and math scores.

As for all the building improvements that are needed, why weren't these budgeted for and implemented on a yearly basis? The new air-quaility system is going to cost taxpayers a whopping $6 million. If this is $26.2 million referendum does pass, don't think that will be the end of it: there will be plenty of "Operating Referendums" not far down the road. Not to mention what will happen when it comes time for teacher's contract negotiations. Where is the money going to come from for those items? From taxpayers, who are already paying for the poor decisions of the school board and administration. Simply put, this referendum lacks objectivity, and is yet another excuse for this district to throw money at a problem that money can't solve.

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