Consequences must follow overpriced decisions
It was not an easy decision for the Volt faction to agree to today’s proposal to rent the new property at Börsenstraße. Ultimately, the tense situation at Frankfurt’s high schools was the deciding factor, as no alternative was available to the factions. However, given the excessive rental costs, which taxpayers must now cover, frustration remains.
“If we had not agreed, we would have had to accept that a large number of students would not get a school place in Frankfurt next year or class sizes would have to be expanded unacceptably. Thus, we had no real room for decision, which is extremely unfortunate given the financial dimension,” says Britta Wollkopf, educational policy spokesperson in the faction.
The proposal was passed with several important provisions, but the faction now expects consequences for the tight and incomplete planning of the department. While the conversion of an existing building or office building for school purposes is expressly welcomed, contract negotiations must still be conducted in the interest of the people of Frankfurt. For the Volt faction, this means that the arising costs must be handled responsibly and strategies must be driven long-term. “Our standard for school building planning is different. We cannot literally create schools at any cost. We need sustainable, responsible planning that looks years into the future, is transparent, and sets clear priorities,” concludes Wollkopf.