Who Pays for Recall Campaign?

Do the people who have initiated the recall campaign against four of the members of our school board realize what they have done to their children and mine? The costs for the recall will not be paid by the county or state as some are saying. The cost, a minimum of $100,000, must be paid by our school district. This means that money that should go to all the children of Torrance might now have to pay for a recall election.

If the recall succeeds, another $100,000 or more must be spent for a new election. There is precious little money already for education. The $100,000 could be used to hire three teachers or paint a school or put a counselor in every middle school in Torrance. These people are trying to take away approximately $525 per child per $100,000 (based on an enrollment of 19,000 students) for their own selfish whims.

Where would Torrance be today if previous school boards didn’t have the courage to close schools? The answer is that the district would be in a worse position than it is. There would be less money for salaries, for materials, for maintenance. There would be no money for school nurses, no vocal or instrumental music programs, nothing to help our children become well-rounded individuals. The money saved by closing schools has kept Torrance from having many of the financial problems besetting other districts.

It hurts when a school is closed, but I would rather have a school closed than to have the standard of education I want for my children and all the children in Torrance lowered.

BARBARA L. HAYDEN

Torrance