Should there be a referendum on the Bethel Park High School project?

 Yes we need a referendum.  Not one shovel of dirt should be turned over until we have a referendum.

When the test scores improve and we can be noted like St. Clair and MT. Lebanon, then we will talk.

A new building does not improve the academic value of a school. If the main concern is the safety of the students, there are many ways to accomplish this that costs a  lot less. Isn't it strange when the present building was built, it is the only one in the country.  Obviously other school boards thought it was a bad idea.

Another strange story on this subject.  When one e-mails a board member and has a copy listed for Dr. Knight, the message is sent back as rejected. I guess all the e-mails are marked, "Block the Sender."  That is an easy way not to face the public.  When an e-mail is sent without the cc, it goes through. That problem needs to be addressed.

If the board members want a new school, let them pay for it. With all the job loss and people's 401k's decreased this is the wrong time to even think about this added expense.

Wake up Bethel Park school board. It is time for a referendum.

I have not changed my mind in regard to the new school for Bethel.  Spending this kind of money during these bad times,  job loss and homes being up for sheriff sale in Bethel is wrong.  We have had one tax increase so far. Wait until the final figure is added up, and sit back for another tax increase. 

If the board is so sure of itself, let's have a referendum.  I don't see that happening because the board would have to cancel all its plans.

 Absolutely there should be a referendum. I can't believe that the schoolboard is actually going to go through with this. It doesn't seem like anything can or will stop them. I don't understand how they can be unanimous in supporting this ridiculous idea. We the Bethel Park citizens are going to do our best to vote them all off of the board during the next elections. Come to think of it, maybe it is time for me to move to Peters Twp.

As I am reading the comments here, I see only one person - baddog93 - who seems to think that a new school buliding is a good idea. I can't help but wonder if baddog93 is a BP school board member or someone who works for the winning construction company. baddog93's points are questionable to laughable. I see several people have already put baddog93 in his/her place already, but I'd like to add a bit here:

• Mold in the basement of a building is a reason to tear it down? I have a mold problem in the basement of my 58 yr old house, but you don't see me tearing it down. Oh maybe I would tear it down if I could build a new house with OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY!
• A new school building is going to increase the value of my house? You've got to be kidding me. A new school building is going to raise our local taxes causing people to want to leave BP (I reiterate my statement above about moving to Peters). There will be more BP houses on the market and less buyers because the buyers realize that BP's local taxes are too high. They can buy a house in a similar neighborhood like Peters or USC or Mt Lebanon instead. Therefore BP housing supply goes up while demand goes down. Hence, the price of your house is going to go DOWN. Oh, and to add to that point, do you know that there currently is a nationwide real estate crisis going on right now where people's houses are losing up to 40% of their value? It hasn't really hit Pittsburgh yet, but the time will come. Especially if we have to deal with bonehead moves by our government.

Well, now that ground has been broken, I hope that the community can come together behind the project, so that our new school can provide the best education for as many kids as possible.  We live in a great community, and not everybody will agree on everything.  If the most controversial thing our community does is build a new school, I think we will be o.k.  As for people moving out because of the new school, that is absurd. 

Someone asked me, "do you know that there currently is a nationwide real estate crisis going on right now where people's houses are losing up to 40% of their value?"  This poster also implies that this 40% will hit Pittsburgh.  This is not accurate.  The reason homes in other parts of the country lost such value is that real estate prices were artificially inflated by population growth and property speculation in such areas.  Western PA never experienced the artificial boom, so it won't experience the dropoff associated with real estate prices coming back to where they should be.  So, if you move to Peters or Mt. Lebo, we (and our property values) will be just fine without you. 

 I attended the "ground breaking ceremony" and the School Board invited many empty seats. In fact over 1/2 the seats were empty. The band parents all stood on the hill to watch their children. I spoke to many that still can't believe this is going to be built. I watched as the high school principal called for the teachers and staff to all stand and be recognized. NOT one teacher, para professional, counselor or secretary was there! Oh, I forgot, the band director was there. I find it ironic that although it was community day and the parade just past through that so few people attended this project. The school district did it's best to promote this event through the website, emails and other sources and yet hardly anyone came.

The building will not bring higher test scores or help us compete academically with the higher rated schools such as Mt. Lebo, Peters, USC or even South Fayette. It will simply offer a higher cost structure to live in Bethel Park. On the bright side we will have a great gym and weight room!

Baddog93 calls for people to unite and support this project. It will not happen. I think as a community we can agree to move forward and support the teachers, students and the activities they participate in. Not the irresponsible administration and school board, who unlike USC, Baldwin, Peters, and Mt Lebo who have all decided to renovated or add-on to their high schools to help control costs.

Come election time, I encourage all voters to simply cast no vote for the current school board or the other person running who is in total support of this project. All are nice people, but wrong headed regarding the construction of a new high school.

 I agree with copier - the community will not unite and support this project. The community can and will vote all incumbent BP school board members off of the board in the upcoming elections.

baddog93, I think you missed the point I was trying to make pertaining to "real estate across the country losing up to 40% of its value" because of a real estate crisis. I was not implying that Pittsburgh real estate is going to drop 40% in value because of a real estate crisis. I am implying that stagnant or a small drop in Pittsburgh area real estate values is much more likely to happen than an increase in real estate values for BP like you stated in a previous post.

I'm glad that you're OK with me leaving BP. But will you still be OK when many other BP residents follow my lead? As copier says, most BP residents probably don't even realize this project is  happening and won't until they receive their next property tax bill. That's when you'll start to see an increase in BP houses for sale (or foreclosure?!). This can be compared to people fleeing Allegheny county for Washington or Westmoreland county because of taxes.

 You had your say, now it is our turn.  We would not miss you if you moved on. We will be just fine without you also. 

 You forgot about the cost overruns.  There isn't one project of this type that cost more to build then was stated.  We had one increase so far.  Even though Dr. Knight said there would be no further increases, he and we will have to wait and see.

What about when all the properties are reassesed?  The taxes will go up for sure. 

 I am following (reluctantly) the "progress" of the new school building, and I was disgusted to learn that the new building will not be LEED certified (at a cost of approximately $5,000), but will "incorporate some of the principles of LEED certification".  If we were to include this environmentally sound measure, we would have access to grants and loans expressly delineated for that purpose.  Also, the quality of the building and HVAC units, as well as the other resources used for the project, would all have to meet health and safety standards that are more stringent than non-certified LEED buildings.  I have worked for years with "Tools for Schools" - The EPA and national PTA program to improve the indoor air quality for schools all over the country, and I know the statistics about the increase in asthma and allergies in school children and teachers.  When the project came in 2 million plus dollars under budget, many extra items were thrown back in - BUT NOT LEED CERTIFICATION!!!  I don't know how the residents of BP can be so stupid.  Oh, and did anyone realize there will be a >$2 MILLION cost on the back end of the project for chairs and desks?  I love my little house, but I hope I'm gone by then. 

 Welcome to the ""Club of Disbelief" communityMomNurseTaxpayer or other wise known as www.savebethelhigh.com. The LEED certification is just the beginning of the errors to come. If the well meaning but ill equiped school board and Dr. Knight, aka "Dr. I don't give a damn what the taxpayer say" truely listened to the people of Bethel Park this as well as many more mistakes might not occur.

For instance hiring an architectual firm that never designed a school to build our new high school. I know that they were located in Bethel Park, but really, a two man firm? The nationally recognized architectual firm Kimball and Associates who the school district used for many, many years said a new school was not needed just had to be replaced! How about a school board that held "public meetings" who advertised them on the much read (not) sign on Church Rd. or the schools email system thats goes out to only a small portion of the residents. As Dr. Knight has told me directly, "We have met the minimun requirements by law to move forward with this project". Isn't that great, the top dog going for that highly coveting goal of attaining the minimum. How lucky are we to have him as our leader in charge of educating our students.

Eventually everyone will see the lack of foresight and mismanagement of this project and we will have to absorb the costs that go with it, but it will not matter, Dr Knight will be sitting on his big fat pension laughing at us mean while telling anyine who listens of his great accomplishment.

 Good Morning Bethel residents, the ones who want this not needed new school, and the ones who opposed Dr. Knight's wishes. 

 Please get  ready for your tax increase. We had one so far, but wait until the final bill comes in for this school.

In an recent article in the Post Gazette, Dr. Knight was quoted as saying, "No tax increase is needed for this project."  We are from Missouri, show us.  He will have to live that statement.

What a prince.  He blocked the emails that were sent to the members of the board.  What were you afraid of Dr. Knight?

Isn't it strange the no other high school in the country followed Bethel's lead and built a campus   style school.  I guess that was a mistake also.