Lost in the sadistic irony of Phil Berger, Dan Forest, and Tim Moore’s “argument” to fully open schools this fall amidst the COVID-19 pandemic is that there has been talk of placing a bond referendum on the ballot in 2020 for school construction.

In fact, it really has been Tim Moore who has given more vocal energy to this idea. From the N&O a couple of Decembers ago:

“Education is what matters most to families and businesses — to the private and public sectors alike — and North Carolina is poised to build on historic commitments to our schools with another long-term investment in capital construction for our rapidly growing student population,” Moore said in a press release.

The rich irony of Moore’s initial statement above deserves its own book, but it acknowledges something brought out by Gov. Cooper’s spokesperson later in the report.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper previously proposed a similar education bond and also supports this push, spokesman Ford Porter said Thursday.

“A school bond could relieve crowded, aging schools and ensure students across North Carolina get a quality education and opportunities to succeed,” Porter said in an email.

Aging buildings. Overcrowded schools.

Berger, Moore, and Forest want to send all students back in a few weeks into those same aging buildings and overcrowded schools.

Have you ever walked through a school and wondered if every room had a window(s) that could help circulate fresh air when needed? I have taught in rooms that had no windows at all. Some classrooms I have taught in had only one which makes hard to circulate air.

Then walk through a school and just check the HVAC system and its ventilation patterns. As a teacher, I have never had the power to control the thermostat or the fan settings of my classroom. I had to call in a request for an alteration to be performed at a central location.

And I am not sure if it is fresh air that is coming through my vents when the system does turn on in my room. Or if it filtered well.

Then read this: