What school closing headlines do you want?

GOOD MORNING FLINT!
1/ 18/09
BY Terry Bankert
The Flint Board of Education was on a good decision making track ,fair to the community ,when it selected a citizens committee to recommend a process for making school closure decisions.

The committee did an excellent job limited only by their mission, to recommend a process for deciding which Flint schools to close.

It will be a mistake for the superintendent to not release the actual school closing list submitted to the Flint Board of Education prior to the 4 scheduled community meeting , beginning 1 /26/09 , and explain the difference between the actual proposed closures and the citizens report.

This process will benefit the community and board members.

IN FLINT WHICH OF THESE HEADLINES DO WE WANT?

What can we learn about the role of the community when schools shut down?
My start here is a google search, key words: "school closure" budget community.CAP
HEADLINES ARE MINE

WE ARE NOT ALONE.

In the spring of 2002 School District No. 6 (Rocky Mountain) was faced with three challenging issues:
1. Decline of over 220 students from the September 2001 enrolment of 4000 students
2. 20% of the space in district schools was not required for instructional purposes
3. A shortfall of $2.1M for the 2002-2003 school year if the district continued to spend in the same
manner.-2THERE ARE MANY OTHER EXAMPLES.

THE COMMUNITY WILL DEMAND THAT THEIR VOICE BE HEARD. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE-NOT FLINT.

2- AWARENESS/COMMUNITY INPUT

2- Community Budget Meetings
Community meetings were held in Kimberley, Golden and Invermere to provide information regarding the enrolment decline and potential budget shortfall
Input regarding suggestions for budget reduction as well as revenue generating suggestions were received, consolidated and communicated Significant input was received suggesting that the Board close schools, reduce administration, close Zone Administrative offices and close zone Resource Centres.

2- Board Action on Community Input
At a Special Board meeting the Board announced reduction of central staff and passed a Notice of Motion to consider the closure of 8 schools.
Management analyzed enrolment trends, space availability for students in neighboring schools,
budget implications, and potential savings should a school close.
Schools were considered for closure if:
-all students from that school could be enrolled in a neighboring school
-the closure of the school would result in cost savings
-cost savings would continue to be realized even when the ‘Small Community Grant’ was eliminated

THE COMMUNITY WILL DISRUPT AGGRESSIVELY THE SCHOOL CLOSING PROCESS IF THEIR QUESTIONS ARE NOT ANSWERED.

Hundreds of frustrated parents urged the Northshore School District to delay its plans to close an elementary school next fall, citing the disruption to about 800 students and unanswered questions about the district's finances.-1

UPSET PARENTS WILL DISRUPT MEETINGS.

Parents wore life jackets and held up signs that said "Talk With Us" at a School Board meeting Tuesday night that ran until almost 2 a.m. -1

COMMUNITY SPEAKERS WILL SAY THE BOARD IS MOVING TOO FAST

Many speakers said the School Board was moving too fast in its proposal to close Woodin Elementary in Bothell as part of its plans to cut $3.4 million from the 2008-09 budget.-1

PARENTS WILL SAY THEY ARE CAUGHT UNAWARE THEIR SCHOOL COULD BE CLOSED

Parents said they were ambushed by the decision to close the school and view it as a rash reaction to the town's budget woes. "There's no plan in place," parent Kevin Donaher said. "If there's a plan in place, then it's more acceptable."-3

THE COMMUNITY WILL SAY IT IS STUNNED

"They should have given parents more notice. Maybe we could have tried to raise money to keep it open," said Refuerzo, who has a son in the second grade at Hillside. "We feel Hillside is a very safe school. It's just not fair," Refuerzo said. "Why did they have to close a school that brings such a good quality of life to students?"-4

THE BOARD WHEN CONFRONTED WILL SAY "WE ARE LISTENING TO YOU

Board Chairwoman Cathy Swanson told the standing-room-only crowd that while it may seem like the school closure is a done deal, "we're still listening to the community and weighing our decisions."-1

THE BOARD WILL TALK ABOUT MONEY SAVED AND DROPPING ENROLLMENT

The district estimates it will save about $700,000 annually by closing a school. Enrollment in the district has dropped by about 600 students in the past two years, and the loss of another 600 students is projected by 2010.-1

THE BOARD WILL TALK ABOUT LOST TEACHERS , ASSISTANTS AND ADMINISTRATORS

The district also has proposed eliminating seven teaching positions, 30 library assistants, three school nurses and 13 administrative-support positions next year.-1

THE TEACHERS UNION WILL SAY IT DISAGREES WITH THE FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS

The Northshore teachers union said it disagreed with the district's income projections. Its own analysis showed the district has $3 million more in revenues than it had a year ago, said Tim Brittell, president of the Northshore Education Association. He also said the union projected a year-end general-fund balance that is $1.7 million more than the board-required 2 percent reserves.-1

TOO MANY SPEAKERS TOO LITTLE TIME, COMMUNITY DEMAND BOARD TO TALK TO THEM

When Swanson suggested that some of the more than 150 people who had signed up to speak at the public meeting instead submit comments to a district Web address, many in the audience booed and held up bright yellow signs that said "Talk With Us."-1

PARENTS WILL COMPLAIN THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY PRESENTATION PROCESS

Parents have complained that no School Board members attended three community meetings on the proposed budget cuts earlier this month. And they asked why the community hadn't been more involved in finding alternatives to closing a school.-1

TEACHERS WILL SAY THE BOARD DID NOT CONSIDER ALL OPTIONS

"I can't believe school closure would be considered before you consider every other option," said Karen Kapovich, a teacher at Woodin.-1

THE COMMUNITY WILL ACCUSE THE SCHOOL BOARD OF HURTING CHILDREN

Parents frustrated by the School Department's proposed shuttering of an elementary school to balance next year's budget told selectmen last night that children will suffer because of poor planning."We're seriously compromising the world of very young children," said Alan Abrams, a parent of two students at Machon Elementary School. "They're not sad," Abrams said of Machon students. "They're scared because they don't know what's going to happen to them." -3

THE COMMUNITY WILL ACCUSE THE BOARD OF DESTROYING THE COMMUNITY AND GOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Parents, teachers and students at Hollywood Hill Elementary complained that the district was effectively destroying two elementary schools that had built up strong community support and effective educational programs.-1

THE CLOSING WILL GREATLY HARM POOR STUDENTS

Some also wondered how the Woodin students, about a third of whom come from low-income families and a quarter of whom are Hispanic, would fit into the more affluent Hollywood Hill community.-1

MANY FAMILIES WILL TURN TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS

For many families, "it's off to private schools. It's as simple as that," said Peter Burnham, a Hollywood Hill parent.-1

SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS WILL BE HURT THE WORST

Others worried that Hollywood Hill's special-education students would suffer in any move.-1

LOWER ENROLLMENT JUSTIFIES FOR THE UNION TO LOWER WAGES

After the meeting, Brittell suggested that the district was using its enrollment decline as a way to leverage concessions from its unions in upcoming bargaining talks.-1

CONTRACT POSTURING

District spokeswoman Susan Stoltzfus said posturing in advance of contact negotiations was "a two-way street."-1

THERE IS NO EXTRA MONEY

As for the union's budget analysis, she said, "there is no extra money. It will all be spent by August," the end of the fiscal year.-1

WHICH OF THESE HEADLINES DO YOU WANT IN FLINT? WHAT SHOULD BE DONE DIFFERENTLY.

On December 17, 2008 the Facilities Advisory Committee (made-up of citizens from our community) presented their report to the Flint Board of Education about consolidating and closing schools. You can obtain a copy of the report on the Flint Board of Education web site:
http://www.flintschools.org/pdfs/FACrpt2008_12.pdf

The report documents:
The current number of buildings have the capacity for 30,000 students but there are just 14,000 students, meaning we have too many buildings for the size of the school population
The costs to maintain too many building is taking away needed funds from education programs
The community cannot afford all of the facilities

The physical conditions of several buildings are unacceptable and in some cases dangerous.
The number of buildings needs to be reduced from our current 30 to 18 by 2013.
Community meetings are being held to explain the report and we urge and encourage you to attend. The plan needs to be carefully considered. The citizens’ Facilities Advisory Committee is convinced that urgent action is needed. Please take the time to read and understand the report and attend one of the community meetings.

Central High School Monday, January 26th 7:00 pm Cafeteria

Northern High School Tuesday, January 27th 7:00 pm Cafeteria

Southwestern High School Wednesday, January 28th 7:00 pm Cafeteria

Northwestern High School Thursday, January 29th 7:00 pm Cafeteria



Posted here by
Terry Bankert

-1-
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/eastsidenews/2004309453_northshore27e.html
-2-
http://www.bcssa.org/topics/SD6.schoolclosureprocess.pdf
-3-
http://www.salemnews.com/punews/local_story_074120431
-4-
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_/ai_n15830545

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