New City Funded Gym?

I'm angry.  I'm stunned.  I'm appauled.  On one page of a newspaper from last week, they talked about school buget cuts, and laying off faculty from Speacial Ed, and Guidance among others. On the next page: an article talking about fudning for the new City Gym. I ask you Portsmouth; Really!? In case you didn't know, there are already four gyms in fine working order.  When my nephew comes to me becasue he "doesn't know how to learn," and the Vice Principal of the middle school tells me there's nothing she can do, and there's no money for special education; why are you more concerned with tightening your glutes, and toning your abs?  Give me a break!
 
I'm the first to admit that I don't know the first thing about running a city.  I don't have a college education, but I do have common sense.  Something has to be done with our public school system.  It's a joke, and I'm sorry to the men and women that I know work tirelessly to give these kids a fighting chance in a private school world.  When will Portsmouth stop focusing on Athletics, and start focusing on Acedemics?  When I call you to fix a problem with a student, don't tell me there's nothing you can do.  Don't tell me you have kids "far worse off," becasue frankly, you don't know that.  Let's work together to fix the problem.
 
I understand lacking funds.  What I don't understand is firing even more teachers and counselors when they are needed so much more than dumbells and tredmills.  I don't know Ed McDunnough.   I don't know what daily life cosists of for him, but I know there's more that can be done, by not only him, but the entire school board.  Do any of you know what goes on behind the walls of your schools?  How much your staff strugfgles just to keep up with the enldess needs of our citie's youth?  And you're going to stand by as the city plans to spend milions of dollars on a gym?  I oblviously need to attend more council meetings and speak up, becasue nobody else seems to want to.
 
There is no argument you could possibly come up with to justify spending this money on a gym.  I speak not only for myself, or my nephew, but for every kid whome you are failing.  Get your head out of whatever dark space you have it in, and bring it to the light.  If you absolutely NEED a gym, if the others just aren't good enough for you, then I know a perfectly good building not getting any use.  You may remember it as the Connie Bean.  I'm begging you to PLEASE give our children the chance to succeed because not every parent can afford St. Pat's.  I'll be sure to free my schedule on Thursday nights at 7:00, so maybe you can help me better understand the need for workouts over homework.