Spartanburg School District 7 is planning to drop $200,000 to pay for facilities enhancements on a private golf course, saying the expense is justified because the Spartanburg High School golf team plays there.
Of course, the district already pays the local private country club several thousand dollars a year for that privilege.
According to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, District 7 officials added idiocy to indignity last week by meeting on the issue behind closed doors – in direct violation of our state’s Freedom of Information Act.
Coincidentally, this is the same district that just approved a $170,000-a-year salary for a new “superintendent-designate,” because the one thing we can certainly afford more of right now (other than golf courses) is bureaucrats.
Amazingly, after getting their rear ends properly popped in the local press, we hear the $156,000-a-year “non-designate” superintendent (who is different from the “designate” superintendent) actually had the nerve to call the editorial board up and complain about being criticized unfairly.
Either way, the next time somebody complains that school choice advocates want to use “public money for private schools,” you can tell them at least they’re not spending it on a private country club’s golf course.
By Chris January 28, 2009 at 7:31 am
Give’m hell Will. Keep up the good work.
By PalmettoCPA January 28, 2009 at 9:39 am
Someone needs to investigate why $200,000 for the golf program is necessary, and which board member suggested it. How many of the board of trustees are members of said club? (hint: it’s at least one)
By Todd January 28, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Give ‘em a voucher. Tell ‘em as soon as they pass, they can cash it in.
By James the Foot Soldier January 28, 2009 at 6:29 pm
and the rest of the state’s media story-line reads “we’re cutting bone now….to this cpa it doesn’t compute…until I see retrenchment rather than growth in the employment numbers for education…
Perhaps an educrat would like to take a crack at why “teaching” a kidnergartner french is essential?
By Todd January 28, 2009 at 11:36 pm
James, the fs: In Richland Dist 1, our consultants have consultants to assist the managers who work for the administrators who must meet with the assistant superintendants to discuss with the curriculum administrators who have to meet with the department chairs ……….. where are the actual teachers who interface with the kids??????
By James the Foot Soldier January 29, 2009 at 12:35 am
Todd – looks like they haven’t hit bone yet in Richland Dist 1 either.
unfortunately we have french teachers interfacing with kidnergartners in lex-rich $5 – I would have been one pissy 6 year old if that crap would have interrupted my nap time when I was in my half-day kidnergarten class.
By PalmettoCPA January 29, 2009 at 4:02 pm
“The contract formalizes the partnership between the district and club, where White and three board trustees – who the superintendent identified as Chip Hurst, Thomas McMeekin and Laura Bauknight – are members.”
So not only is the district subsidizing $200,000 of capital improvements at a private club, they’re still going to be paying 5 times more annually than the folks at Dorman pay the other “exclusive” country club in Spartanburg.