Dear taxpayers,
I grew up in the area but did not attend Hays High School. However, for the past 26 years, I have personally (and our company for the past 52 years) been involved in repairs and maintenance to the USD 489 buildings. Some of this work has been donated by my company. During this time, I can say first-hand that at some point the expenses to maintaining these buildings out-cost rebuilding them.
Personally, I have always felt that Hays has some of the highest tax rates in the state and I am an advocate of lower taxes. However, education is the one place I feel we owe to our children and their futures. Anyone who knows me knows that I run our businesses by running the numbers and assessing the up and down sides.
Hays High is 40 years old, yet it is the newest building in the USD 489 district. We are to that point where cost of maintenance and risk of safety is outweighing a new build.
Personally, I am in favor of a new high school and using the current high school as the middle school. My children currently attend Hays High but will be long out of school before the new school is completed. Still I believe in investing in the future of our city and that is done by investing in our future generations.
In the end, the money is going to be spent so we either continue to do repairs and attempt to keep the buildings safe, leaving the cost of the rebuilds to our children. Or we decide to spend the money and strengthen our community now.
Jacob Proffitt, Hays