$35,000,000

By William "Bill" Hajdu

The District is ready to press forward with a $35,000,000 Facilities Modiernization Program. We need board members with the expertise and the time to devote to make it a great achievement and not a debacle.

The District has already identified about $14,000,000. This month school board members will* vote to put a $21,000,000 bond on the ballot next year. Citizens of Laguna Beach, people who love this town and have always supported our schools, will* approve it.

That will probably result in the largest project---over 500 line items---undertaken by the District in over 30 years. In a few days the District will solicit bids for construction at El Morro. Yes, the process is underway even as you read this.

Most construction will take place over the summer; however, some will have to be done during the school year, placing a burden on school administrators. Fortunately, thought is already being given to this matter. Daily safety meetings, for example, are planned between school officials and construction personnel to minimize safety hazards posed by construction.

Much work still needs to be done. At the last school board meeting District officials admitted they do not have the ability to do all the construction accounting that will be necessary. The good news is that they recognize the deficiency and are thinking about ways to fix it. At present there is also no programming plan that details all the actions required, who will do them, and when they need to be done. This is another deficiency that needs to be addressed.

Furthermore, there is to my knowledge no programmed/budgeted increase in staff to handle the additional workload the modernization program will require. In the Air Force you're constantly told, work smarter, not harder. District personnel are going to have to work both smarter and harder. Someone will have to make sure they do to insure this once in a lifetime opportunity to significantly improve our schools achieves its potential without disrupting our children's education.

I coached an undefeated youth football team. My players always thought that games were easy compared to our practices. Well, the administration is going to think facing the voters next year is easy compared to me.

In 1976 US military forces left Thailand. I was a plans-officer at Hill AFB, Utah at the time. I was given three months to write a plan to outline what had to be done to shortly thereafter accommodate a tactical fighter wing at the base. The wing had about 70 aircraft and over 3,000 personnel. I know what it's like and have dealt with a massive workload surge, the kind facing our district.

If you want someone with that kind of experience, someone who also cares about education and our children, please vote for Bill Hajdu on November 7. Thank you.

• As a professional intelligence officer, futurist, and politician with good political instincts, I have confidence in that prediction.