Comments on: A Call for Balls

By: At Home in Decatur

At Home in Decatur — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:45:43 +0000

Agree that’s a great sign that the playground will happen. My guess is that a school playground costs more like $40,000 total or more so the $15,000 may be for site prep or seed money for matching funds. Can’t help wishing that it could have happened in time for the current classes to enjoy it, especially because parents asked for it way back when the school was nothing but a building plan. But I sure appreciate the hard work that Margaret McMaster and others have put into making sure one appears, through grants, fundraising, school funds, or whatever ends up being the funding sources.

By: Don Calder

Don Calder — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:29:08 +0000

Just found a list of capital expenditures in the FY2012 budget amendment being presented at next Tuesday’s CSD board meeting:

“The expenditure budget will be increased by $425,000 of which $100,000 will be used to install one new elevator at Renfroe and one new elevator at Decatur High School. The pump room will be repaired at Decatur High School with an anticipated cost of $60,000 and a playground installed at Fifth Avenue in the amount of $15,000 …”

I can’t be sure whether “playground” refers to site prep and/or equipment — or whether $15K is just a partial amount of total expense (to be matched by PTO funds?). But it’s comforting to have another sign that the playground is on CSD’s radar.

By: 20%er

20%er — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:51:50 +0000

As a city of Decatur taxpayer, I share your concerns about SPLOST. However, my bigger concern is that non-permanent funds were committed for budgetary operating expenses. I like SPLOST for capital projects, those can be deferred if the funding doesn’t come through. Can’t do that with the debt service.

Granted, I don’t know all the details of the CSD budget so I’m hoping there may be a plan b (other than massive increases in city taxes).

By: At Home in Decatur

At Home in Decatur — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:01:15 +0000

Thanks for all the explanations. Sounds like they would be good topics for communications to parents. Everyone is hoping that their children will have a chance to have a playground before they leave FAVE. Meanwhile, balls are needed to use the big fields and impressive basketball court that do exist; glad they will be supplied one way or another.

By: DEM

DEM — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 01:24:50 +0000

I can certainly see your point, but I find this position a bit odd in light of the many comments I’ve seen here saying that City residents are all too happy to pay high Decatur taxes b/c the schools and services are so worth it.