Politics & Government

My Board Vote Could Be Third One to Make Alpine High School a Reality

Jim Stieringer: "I'm not swayed by argument that new school would be too costly to operate."

To the editor:

The putative investigation by the Grand Jury would not be a topic for discussion if 2012 weren’t an election year. We would ordinarily wait for a government announcement before weighing in on the issue. The best interest of the district is the common bond that unites the current board members and the four challengers.

The decision to build (or not build) the twelfth high school (Alpine/Blossom Valley) will be made by the survivors of Tuesday’s election and the three holdover trustees. Under the right circumstances, I could be the third vote to make the school a reality.

I’m not swayed by the argument that the new school would be too costly to operate. My understanding is that the district spends about $6,000 per student per school year.

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Assuming an enrollment of 800 students, the operating cost would be around $5 million per year. Those expenses are roughly the same whether the 800 students are enrolled at Granite Hills, Steele Canyon or at a new facility closer to their homes.

The voters have already agreed to pay for the new school with general obligation bonds. The construction cost would not come from general revenues.

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My advice: Let’s all take a deep breath. Let’s not allow a straw issue to cloud a campaign that should be waged strictly on the real issues.

Jim Stieringer
Candidate for Election to the Governing Board
Grossmont Union High School District


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