Some things I do not understand:

1. The Beaufort County school board voted to help fund a purchase of land for a new business. I have always thought that school district dollars were to be spent on education.

2. Every time I turn around some local government is hiring a consulting firm. The latest example was Hilton Head paying a consultant $85,000 to determine if the town should use taxpayers' money to help fund arts organizations. I don't think taxpayer money should be used to fund nonprofits; they should rely on ticket sales and donations. Can't elected officials make the decisions they were elected to make without hiring a consultant every time an issue arises?

3. Why did Hilton Head have to pay for the removal of two shrimp boats that ran aground? Didn't the boat owners receive insurance proceeds?

4. Why is Bluffton High School being split into two schools? If more space is needed to address overcrowding, why not just build more classroom space on the existing property? I may be wrong, but I think there is enough space for more classrooms at the existing location. Make the current and new buildings part of the same school -- one for 9th and 10th grades and one for 11th and 12th grades. Also, is it really necessary to have two football fields which utilize precious space?

Jack Laakso

Bluffton