Setting the record straight

Iwould like to set the record straight in regards to the reporting of my comments in the Feb. 25 edition of the paper. I did not request the School Board to involve me in the budget making process. I did say that I have been involved in the process as a former School Board member and as a private citizen. It should be noted that any county citizen can and should be involved in this process through public hearings, public comments, and by talking to their School Board representative and supervisor.

The article failed to state my first point to the board, that being that the $75 filters that are necessary to make the schools’ water drinkable for students and staff should be included in the budget and not relegated to the PTO. The filters are, to my understanding good for 1,500 gallons of water. PTO funds should be used to buy the extras that can’t be covered in the budget. Drinking water should not be considered an extra.

I also commented on the lack of financial information in the School Board Doc’s site. A subsequent speaker and former School Board member indicated that it was there and that I just did not know how to access it. That was, in fact wrong; the information is not available. This was confirmed, in an email to my wife, from School Board Chairman Wes Mills. He had gone home after the hearing and tried unsuccessfully to access the information. He has since requested that the central office take steps to make it available and I thank him for his efforts. In 2016 there is no excuse for not providing the citizens of Rappahannock, through the school’s website, with all the financial and administrative information that is required under the Freedom of Information Act. You will find, as I have just experienced, that if you request information that is not on the site, it is not free and you will be charged to get it. RON MAKELA

Amissville