A $578 million dollar school in a bankrupt state?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100822/ap_ ... al_schools

This is what is wrong with our government. There is absolutely no common sense anymore.

Next month's opening of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools will be auspicious for a reason other than its both storied and infamous history as the former Ambassador Hotel, where the Democratic presidential contender was assassinated in 1968.

With an eye-popping price tag of $578 million, it will mark the inauguration of the nation's most expensive public school ever.

The K-12 complex to house 4,200 students has raised eyebrows across the country as the creme de la creme of "Taj Mahal" schools, $100 million-plus campuses boasting both architectural panache and deluxe amenities.

The RFK complex follows on the heels of two other LA schools among the nation's costliest — the $377 million Edward R. Roybal Learning Center, which opened in 2008, and the $232 million Visual and Performing Arts High School that debuted in 2009.

So here are some interesting facts. Add those 3 schools up and they total almost $1.2 billion dollars. This is the same school district that has a $640 billion school district and can't figure out why. :bash They just had to lay off 3000 teachers due to a shortfall in the budget. I am sure those 3000 families would rather have a practical school built and still keep their jobs. This school will have 4200 students. That is almost $140,000 per student spent to build this school. And on top of all that, these schools are some of the lowest ranking in the United States. And they have a dropout rate of 27%. So can someone explain to me why the Federal government keeps giving this state, who obviously is clueless as to how money works, our tax dollars to fund a Taj Mahal in Calif for some of the worst performing schools in the US?

Unfortunately everyone has been taught to believe that because of the way our government just hands out money, that they can live by the 'Field of Dreams' concept. Build it and the money will come.

This is where we "The people" have to say NO! High schools that cost this much..way outta line! No wonder the people in CA have so many problems with their, where were the people to vote on this? Did they even show up?

SC..unreal..no wonder they are begging for money...thanks SC.

See the voters give them the money and they blow it!

In the next decade, I think we are going to see a lot of glorious buildings fall apart because we can't afford to maintain them. Did you see the big new rail project at DIA designed by a high priced foreign designer? I am betting it will be a maintence nightmare. Those artists can't be expected to worry about the costs of upkeep, all they care about are their vision and fee.

Hey rednecks (not talking to you SC), how much have we spent building schools in Iraq? Why don't you unamerician dikweeds cry about that? Do you know how much money we spend building up the infrastructures in other countries? How come you only whine and cry about things we the American the people get?

I celebrate every new school, library and community college built in this country, and if you weren't so incredibly ignorant....so would you

The sad thing is, we spend that on a war and nobody blinks. But spend the same amount on a school and look at the protests. Our country is backwards.

Wayne Harrison wrote: The sad thing is, we spend that on a war and nobody blinks. But spend the same amount on a school and look at the protests. Our country is backwards.

It's nothing short of sickening..We easily flushed 578 million down the toilet today in the middle east and this tardo is upset about us building a school that will literally educate millions of children in it's lifetime. How did they get these drones to agrue and fight like hell against their self interests? Thats what I want to know. How did they get them to do that!?

Vice Lord wrote:

Wayne Harrison wrote: The sad thing is, we spend that on a war and nobody blinks. But spend the same amount on a school and look at the protests. Our country is backwards.

It's nothing short of sickening..We easily flushed 578 million down the toilet today in the middle east and this tardo is upset about us building a school that will literally educate millions of children in it's lifetime. How did they get these drones to agrue and fight like hell against their self interests? Thats what I want to know. How did they get them to do that!?

They appeal to their good traits!! (selfishness and hate)