To the editor: Christopher Buchanan’s feel-good piece describing the $3.3-million preschool playground is noticeably missing quite a few fundamental details, including the amount of preschoolers benefiting from the taxpayers’ largesse (“A playground replaced this preschool’s empty asphalt lot. It’s a game-changer for learning,” Jan. 27). There’s also no information as to the size of the enchanting green space.
Voters may have approved a $9-billion fund to improve Los Angeles Unified School District campuses. But at $3.3 million for one preschool, where is the value per student? And how long will the billions allocated for districtwide improvements stretch without attention being paid to the cost per student — or even the cost per square-foot of play area?
We have seen what uncontrolled government spending has led to in the corruption of social programs in other places of America. We need transparency and comprehensive reporting to make sure our $9 billion actually yields the value it deserves.
Janet Weaver, Huntington Beach
