Editor:

I am a graduate of Albin High School and it is really sad to hear and read what's going on with the issue of the building. It makes no sense whatsoever to tear down a perfectly usable building.

I recently had the opportunity to have a tour of the annex as it undergoes renovation for the current students, and I was impressed with how nice and up-to-date the facility is. It is important to keep up with current trends in technology and culture.

How are those students supposed to do that if their facility and access to that opportunity is demolished? So many of today's jobs require computer knowledge and training that is oftentimes unaccessible in many homes.

As for too much space for the number of students, that wouldn't even be the case if the school board hadn't voted in favor of closing the high school several years ago. So many times when that happens, the other schools in the district that gain students from closed schools end up being overcrowded. Then guess what, they feel the need to build a new, bigger school! A lot of which are built with more architectural appeal than sensible usable space.

From what I understand, part of the reason behind the decision to close it was because it was "too expensive" to keep a small school open, and by closing it, the district would save hundreds of thousands of dollars. Trust me, it wasn't the Albin board members voting in favor of that decision.

In a small town like Albin, the school is the heart and the lifeblood of the community. The people there go to sporting events and school activities and support the kids whether they have any of their own attending or not. And it doesn't matter whether it's the junior varsity, varsity, or whatever team it is. They're there for the long haul. Without it, they have nothing to keep the town alive.

Close a school to save money, build new facilities to accommodate transferred students, renovate existing facilities so they can continue to be utilized only to be torn down later? Maybe the town should have been allowed to operate their own charter school like they petitioned for. But we all know how that vote ended, too.

How much money is the district and state saving now?

SHEREE ALLEN, Wheatland