Recently the Bee published a letter to the editor that identified instances where the school district was wasteful of taxpayer dollars. Many of these charges concerned issues from the past. Since I am new in my role, I investigated these issues. I gathered my facts from Gail Curless, director of transportation, Cheryl Klein, athletic director at Sandpoint High School, and Terri Hanenburg, information technology. I learned a great deal and telephoned the author of the letter to share what I learned to be the facts. I also asked the author to telephone me at any time should he have questions or concerns before making charges in the local newspaper. I certainly respect his constitutional right to air his views and opinions, but I am also hopeful that he will ask his questions of me first before sharing the information as facts. Below is a response to the concerns he has raised.

Transporting students from the high school or middle school to the public library — Gail Curless, transportation director, reported this has happened one time in 13 years. The driver was on the way back to the bus garage and already on the clock so was not paid extra. The mileage is reimbursable at 85 percent … all one mile of it. It made sense to transport these students at that time because they were on the way.

Busing athletic teams to Seattle — Again, Mrs. Curless reported that no athletic teams have been transported to Seattle by our bus fleet in recent memory.

Using charter buses to transport athletic teams — Cheryl Klein, athletic director, reported that out of 15 fulltime athletic schedules (approximately 250 games); only 4 trips used charter buses. These were all for trips beyond the league distance radius. This is typically to southern Idaho. We have successful teams and they are fortunate to qualify for state competition. Much of this competition is in the southern part of our state. Our transportation department has determined this to be the most economical way to meet the need. It also saves wear and tear on our buses which are rapidly aging. Our music groups occasionally use charters to attend Jazzfest in Moscow. These trips are paid by student fund raisers and parents.

Golf team and baseball team practice in CDA — The beginning golf team members were once transported to the Rimrock Golf Range in Athol. This nine-hole course was used for a practice match to prepare the beginners for their first competition. At the time, Hidden Lakes was under water and the Elks only had one tee time on a week day. The team had spent at least one month practicing in the gym and on school property. It was felt that one experience on a golf course prior to a match was appropriate. We do transport our golf team to their matches, similarly to other teams. The baseball team does practice at times at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. However, we do not transport students.

Cell phones for administrators — Many of our administrators use cell phones. The Blackberrys were purchased last year for $10 each, a savings of $240 per unit. This year we purchased seven of them for the tech team, some administrative staff, and nurses so they could respond to emergencies and other issues. The original purchase several years ago was for 17. We believe it is important for our principals, nurses, and tech team to stay in contact with schools. The Blackberrys make this possible both as a phone and e-mail.

Just give everyone Windows Vista and reduce technology costs — Technology serves the district in a number of critical ways from accounting to instruction to communication. It is similar to any other utility but we must maintain our equipment to keep it operating and assist our users. If the district implemented Windows Vista as suggested, we would be forced to purchase stronger computers than are currently in use. Vista requires a beefier operating system. This would result in a substantial cost.

I ask all citizens who have concern over how dollars are spent to support education to please telephone me at 263-5053. I would be happy to research the question and respond. I believe we are a fiscally responsible organization that is focused upon improving student achievement.

? Dick Cvitanich is superintendent of the Lake Pend Oreille School District.