Dear Editor,

EV Board Meeting July 16 Facility Master Plan Presentation

Superintendent Fee’s push for a $6.95 million referendum is being rushed through despite five major concerns the community needs to know:

1. Facilities Committee Inactivity & Forced Vote
Fee claimed, “the Facilities Committee has done their job … now it is up to the board.” The Facilities Committee hasn’t met in over three months. At the last meeting, Fee forcefully executed a vote—even though questions remained unanswered about crucial costs like relocating a water main. That’s not transparency or oversight—it’s steamrolling.

2. Stratospheric District Debt
State data shows Easton Valley now carries $10.6 million in outstanding school debt, which translates to $19,116 per student—the highest in Jackson County and far above neighboring districts (most under $4,000/student). Adding nearly $7 million more before addressing this fiscal burden is financially reckless. Unfortunately the Board is disinterested in this information.

3. Academic Decline
Recent ISASP scores show district-wide proficiency dropped from 66% to 57% in Math and from 73% to 64% in ELA. Prioritizing a gym over academic recovery is the wrong emphasis at the wrong time. Asking families to carry more debt for facilities when test scores are sliding is the wrong priority—now and always. Why wouldn’t the board want better academic scores equaling better education?

4. Referendum Rejection & Push to Retry
You may recall that a near-identical field-house referendum was defeated by over 60% of voters in November 2023 where Easton Valley’s field house bond failed. Despite that resounding “no,” Superintendent Fee is still aggressively pursuing referendum approval.

5. Process Over People
According to Fee, a petition has begun circulating and could get on the November ballot immediately— required signatures from 25% of past voters (about 286) followed by a special board meeting and placement on Novembers ballot was set in motion at the July meeting allowing the board to approve referendum for ballot. This roadmap quietly sidesteps the committee, sidelines financial transparency and repeats a pattern of poor governance. Despite no recent committee input, no fresh cost data, and no academic contingency plan. It’s a process devoid of transparency and substance—designed to bypass proper review.

What the Community Deserves:
1. Focus on improving academics—not squeezing more debt out of families for buildings that students don’t need while test scores fall.
2. Reconvene the Facilities Committee now, with full cost transparency, before circulating or approving petitions.
3. Publish detailed debt and cost reports, including new interest obligations.
4. Pause all referendum efforts until committee recommendations are complete.
5. Consider removing Fee from position as there now is a history of improper fiscal and educational responsibility.

This isn’t about blocking progress—it’s about demanding accountability, transparency, and responsible governance. Rushing headlong into more debt and construction, without committee buy-in or addressing academic needs, undermines our community’s future.

Richard Betts
Preston, IA