The High School Building Scandal
A legal opinion alleges the Walla Walla School Board acted illegally by building a new high school without taxpayer authorization and exceeding constitutional debt limits.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The law firm of Gose & Gose has issued an opinion regarding the legality of the construction of the new high school building by the board of education. The opinion, citing the code of public instruction and state supreme court decisions, concludes that the board exceeded its authority in purchasing the site and letting construction contracts. Subdivision 5 of Section 45 of the school law mandates that school sites be purchased only by a two-thirds vote at a special election, a provision the opinion claims was violated regarding the Park Street and Washington school sites. Furthermore, the board is accused of incurring indebtedness beyond current revenues without voter approval. The opinion estimates the district's debt, once the school is completed, will reach $150,000—well beyond the 1.5% constitutional limit on a valuation of under $4,000,000. While the Statesman notes there is little opposition to the school itself, there is a strong protest against the methods used to bypass the legal rights of taxpayers.
“If public officials can with impunity violate the laws which they are sworn to observe and uphold, there is no protection whatever for the taxpayers except by an appeal to the courts.”
Public oversight of school infrastructure funding remains a flashpoint in Washington state politics. This 1903 dispute highlights the recurring tension between school boards seeking to modernize facilities and taxpayers demanding fiscal accountability through the ballot box.
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