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The Wilkes-Barre Area School Board remains on the hot seat, and at least one member is steamed about that.

“This is the first time I feel like I’m being cross-examined, and it’s not funny,” board vice president Joe Caffrey, clearly annoyed, said at last Monday’s board meeting.

It’s not only not funny. It’s not fair.

How dare anyone criticize or question the school board after it voted to spend $400,000 on studies, another $67,000 on a rushed-through application for iffy state reimbursement and then bind citizens to a $100 million-plus debt for a new high school project.

The citizens should simply say, good job, school board.

Unfortunately, for board members Lou Elmy, Caffrey, Ned Evans, Denise Thomas, James Susek, Dino Galella and John Quinn, who voted for this unpopular plan to merge Meyers and Coughlin into a new high school on North Washington Street in Wilkes-Barre, it doesn’t quite work that way.

We understand those directors are frustrated with the opposition, but they should get used to it. The newly-formed activist group Save Our Schools is not going away any time soon.

So yes, Mr. Caffrey, you are being cross examined. That goes with the territory, especially when you and your six colleagues voted for what the public at large believes is an ill-conceived plan to build a new high school in a flood zone on a less than three-acre lot.

Now the NAACP may get involved. Wilkes-Barre resident Bob Holden has contacted the organization over his concerns about the district’s poorer students from GAR being shortchanged.

“GAR, our most culturally diverse school, has been removed from this plan,” Holden told the NAACP and asked if it would meet with the SOS group.

Adding to the chaos, we learned that when the wrecking ball arrives at Coughlin, students can’t remain in that school’s newer section, as originally thought. It turns out the school’s boiler is in the old section of the school.

Where will these displaced Coughlin juniors and seniors go now?

Good question. The board must think we need this monkey wrench like a hole in the head.

Dr. Robert Paullin, an expert in cost/quality ratios of educational facilities, who is following the WBA situation through his friend and former colleague Dr. Richard Holodick, had this to say: “The board is drunk with power and, as a result, will not succumb to public pressure.”

If one listens to school board president Elmy, Paullin, who offered to fly here from Michigan to meet with district officials, may have a point.

At SOS’s first public forum, local attorney Kimberly Borland listed 10 questions he said need to be answered before the district moves forward with its plan.

The group urged those who attended the forum to continue asking questions until they get satisfactory answers.

Allow me to imagine how board members might respond.

Borland wanted to know what was the educational impact for the proposed consolidation. President Elmy?

You talking to me? How do I know?

What is the actual facilities plan for the next five years? Denise?

Geez! Who thinks that far ahead?

What happens to GAR High School and its community? Mr. Caffrey?

Well, that’s a no-brainer. They’ll one day go to the new school. In the meantime, they’ll just have to stay put. We can only hope parents don’t sue us because other kids are attending a brand new high school and their kids are well, at GAR.

How will redistricting lines be drawn? Maybe Ned will answer that one for SOS.

Yeah, sure. Uh, what are you talking about?

What is the cost of improvements to Meyers? Your turn, Dino.

Wow, what’s with these lawyers? We’re closing Meyers. What part of closing Meyers don’t you understand?

What is the basis for suggesting that consolidation will reduce operating costs? Mr. Quinn?

Oh come on, we say a lot of things.

What are the prospects for state reimbursement of construction costs? Mr. Elmy?

A snowball’s chance in hell. What’s your point, Attorney Borland?

What effect will consolidation have on tax revenues? Denise?

That’s a tricky one. Why ask me? I don’t have a crystal ball.

Why were the reports of the internal and external task forces not considered? Mr. Elmy?

Oh, give us a break. Everyone knows forming those task forces was a farce. We had to make it look like we gave a hoot about what others thought.

And last, but not least, why not implement a master education plan now? Your turn, Mr. Caffrey.

“This is the first time I feel I’m being cross-examined, and it’s not funny.”

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Betty Roccograndi

Zeroing In

Betty Roccograndi is a Wyoming Valley resident and award-winning journalist. Zeroing In appears weekly.