How smart is our school district?

Your front-page article “Beach Schools face sharp staff cuts” brings up questions about our district’s ability to be fiscally responsible with our tax dollars. Were they really so naïve that they thought the extra government money would just keep coming? Their reaction to its loss seems to indicate yes.

Instead of taking the extra millions to prep our schools for an unseen future, one of the first things that they did was give themselves a raise in pay. One of the reasons was “inflationary cost of gas,” even though teachers were now doing online education.

And exactly who was on their retention list as “good classified staff” during the shutdown?

• How many bus drivers driving empty buses?

• How many janitors cleaning empty schools?

• Were there additions to the administration staff who were working at home?

• Did any uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, or friends get jobs because of all the extra money that was suddenly available?

At the same time, our benevolent government was paying people to stay at home, so there was no justification for spending school dollars on inactive employees.

Is this from the same people that cost us thousands by putting forth a special election for a school bond that no one in their right mind would expect to pass? No one ever investigated that boondoggle and told us what it cost us in our tax dollars.

Finally, are the people who gave themselves a raise going to go back to their old wages?

I find it really hard to feel sorry for these people. They could be sitting on a goldmine of extra cash but it looks like they threw it away. These are the educators of our children.

JOE MRAZ

Long Beach