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Letter: Restore and upgrade Skyline High, and give leftover money to teachers

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Skyline fans make up "The Nest" as they watch their team battle Hurricane for their season opener on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015.

Now that the citizens in Granite School District have approved a $238 million bond, the district needs to be accountable to provide realistic projected costs for the option to preserve Skyline High School, to compare with the costs to demolish the old building and build a new one.

Unfortunately, decisions like this are often made on emotional appeals without fully considering the alternatives. For example, $30 million to entirely upgrade the building and seismically retrofit it, sounds exorbitant. But five years ago it took $75 million to build a new Olympus High School. Why not entirely restore and upgrade Skyline to be a striking piece of mid-century architecture, that is safe and fully functional?

Restoring historic buildings is environmentally responsible, a true 21st century value. Then give the leftover money to teachers, the most important factor in a good education.

Kathleen Stanford, Murray