By Roger Gitlin – EYE ON DEL NORTE – November 19, 2021

At the Del Norte Unified School District (DNUSD) meeting held Thursday November 18th, the District approved on a 5-0 vote, authorizing the County Office of Education/DNUSD to acquire its 37th property tax-exempt building.

This approval was so very, very unnecessary and wastefull.

Drs. Gregory and Annmarie Duncan who presently own the office at 1200 Marshall St, Crescent City have agreed to sell the building to the School District for an amount estimated to be about $400,000.

Del Norte County (and the City) will lose another parcel to property tax exemption, estimated to be to be about 1.25% of the purchase price, annually.

Additionally, the community loses another turnkey medical office.

The County Office plans to spend another $250,000 to renovate the building to accommodate the needs of homeless youth and foster youth services who are not attending school.

Accumulated PUBLIC funds of over $1 million will cover the purchase and remodel work.

The County Office plans to spend another $250,000 to renovate the building to accommodate the needs of homeless youth and foster youth services who are not attending school.

Accumulated PUBLIC funds of over $1 million will cover the purchase and remodel work.

Superintendant Jeff Harris requested the purchase of this property rather than a much less expensive lease / build out.

This disturbing trend of government acquiring private property continues and is not stand-alone. Last year, the County and its Department of Health and Human Services purchased the Coastal Inn and Suites to accommodate the needs of the so-called homeless with State funding of $1.4 million.

Now the Board of Education approves this frivolous purchase at YOUR EXPENSE.

It’s infuriating!

I’d like to tell you the efforts of the DNUSD are noble and benevolent but I cannot. The candid reason for this student outreach is all about $$. Deploying as many as a dozen new Public employees will more than pay for itself by usurping lots of new State revenue in Average Daily Attendance (ADA) which currently exceeds $22,000 per pupil, annually. This effort by the District originates from a District which ranks near the very bottom of Reading and Math scores in the Golden State.

The five Board members who voted to squander your public tax monies on this frivolity are:

Don McArthur, Dist. 1

Angela Greenough , Dist. 2 (Board president).

Frank Magarino, Dist 3

Charlaine Mazzei, Dist. 4

Jamie Forkner, Dist. 5