{Sun Newspaper 3/20/2009}

Voice of the People, March 21
Posted: 03/20/2009 08:51:12 PM PDT

Ignoring voters
When the Colton Joint Unified School District needed bond money, not once but twice, to fund construction of a badly needed high school, the citizens overwhelmingly approved the bonds.
Now that the time has come to name the high school, the school board chose to ignore the generous tax-paying citizens.
A survey conducted by the district showed overwhelming support toward naming the school Grand Terrace High School but the board chose to name it after longtime school board member Ray Abril Jr.
Why did the district even bother to conduct a survey if most of the trustees had already made up their minds on naming the school?
The other two high schools in the district are named after the cities where they are located, so why remove the community's identity from this school?
Mr. Abril has always been a positive role model to all students and deserves to be honored, so why not name a gym or football field after him instead?
I would hope that the school board members who voted against what the majority wanted remember that a majority vote is what got them elected and can get them removed.

JAIME VILCHES
Grand Terrace