It's no secret the national economy is weakening, and Cayuga County won't be immune to the struggle.

The state Department of Labor reported a 5.2 percent December unemployment rate for the Auburn micropolitan statistical area, up an entire percentage point compared with the same month in 2006. Considering the retail growth we've seen locally - which means more jobs in that sector - such an increase in the overall jobless rate is startling.

It's with this context that the Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education should operate when making decisions this week about a possible capital project referendum.

Last week, the board for the first time publicly disclosed a dollar amount for a possible project vote in May - $14.9 million. That figure may have come as a surprise to many people, especially since the board previously had been tossing around the idea of focusing on athletic field renovations. It was not until last week that we learned of such a comprehensive project.

And while there is much to learn about any proposal before deciding whether to support it, we believe a bottom-line total approaching $15 million is too high.

Remember, taxpayers in this school district approved a $13.4 million improvement project just two years ago.

Yes, they did reject a smaller proposal at the same time to improve athletic facilities, most notably with the installation of synthetic turf at the high school. District leaders analyzed that result and decided they should have proposed the turf for Holland Stadium.

But our guess is that many people who said they would have supported turf at Holland Stadium were not thinking the board would put such a massive project back in front of them within a couple of years.

School district leaders are hoping to push this latest idea forward quickly so it can get on the ballot in May. But such an effort to expedite could backfire if they advance a proposal that the community decides it cannot afford.