440 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130
May 29, 2012
Dear members of the School Reform Commission,
In the days leading up to the budget vote this Thursday I would like to focus your attention on a few particular items of expense that might be used to assist in alleviating some of the deficit we are projecting for the School District.
One of the most key factors I have experienced firsthand is waste.
I live nearby a number of School District buildings and have noted on numerous occasions that the lights are on even though no one is using the building. As an environmentalist at heart and with a mindset of efficiency, I find this to be unacceptable. I understand the need to keep what many call a “ghost” light on for any major incidents, but keeping the lights on in hallways or classrooms seems like a large waste of resources.
Perhaps this is one of the many negative outcomes of reducing the building engineer employees: fewer people to be mindful of these expenses. Or, perhaps, no one really takes notice. In either case, this needs to end in order to keep the money focused on one thing only: educating our kids.
Thank you,
Brian Cohen
One Letter Per Day Campaign