How does Portland Public Schools come up with construction estimates (“Portland school construction costs could top $1 billion; district officials lack ‘rationale or explanation’ for low-ball costs,” April 16)? It’s simple. They hire a consultant to guess how much taxpayers will approve, then attempt to tailor the project to fit this amount. Unfortunately, these amounts rarely match. The current situation is just the latest example of this flawed practice.
Bob Lemon, Portland