To the editor:

I would like to thank Jeff VanDerford for his balanced reporting on the consolidation committee meeting he attended last week. However, I want to underscore what was stated in the article: The reported scope and architect’s cost estimate is preliminary. It is an imprecise price tag on a list of all possibilities from which decisions will be made.

There is much more work to be done before a final building program is agreed upon and final cost estimates calculated.

The school board’s role is to make certain that the building program matches the educational program and that both are achievable and affordable. The current goal is to have the middle school relocated by the fall of 2012.

I expect the final amount will be significantly less than the initial estimates and cost projections.

I invite everyone to attend the school board workshop at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 in the South Whidbey High School commons. At this meeting, the school board will receive a report on the work, thus far, of the consolidation committee.

I hope the community can join the school board in thanking the committee for their herculean effort. I encourage participation in perfecting the consolidation. There is tremendous opportunity here to create a safe and nurturing school for our middle schoolers and to provide enriched educational opportunities for all students in grades six to 12.

Leigh Anderson

Chairwoman

South Whidbey School Board