Dear Editor,

We built a new house in the Lehighton School District in 2007. The first thing all people who are taking on a building project do is look at how much money they can spend.The Lehighton school board doesn't know how much money they can get from the state. It is looking more and more like the state is giving less and less money. The second part of the money is from the taxpayers. We cannot afford a 30 percent increase in taxes. We are retired. We now pay $6,000 in school taxes on our three-bedroom ranch home. We cannot afford your new buildings. Neither can the young couples who are barely making the mortgage payments.Neither can the unemployed. Neither can the retired people like us. The school board and Superintendent Cleaver don't seem to care about the taxpayers who will be paying for their grand ideas.I think the best solution is to repair the existing buildings. That doesn't mean expand the existing buildings.We do not see an increase in the number of students. Why are you expanding the existing buildings? Don't build more office space, gyms in every elementary school or expand the parking lots. Only repair what is necessary for the safety of our students. Only do what is necessary for the education of the students.Elaine K. SnyderEast Penn Township