June 9th, 2004 Missoulian article: "MCPS board to seek appraisal of Roosevelt School building and the leasing of Prescott School to MIssoula International School

MCPS board to seek appraisal of Roosevelt School building

The link to the June 9, 2004 Missoulian article titled "MCPS board to seek appraisal of Roosevelt School building" is above, just click on the link and you can read the article.

Some interesting statements from people which opposed the lease follow.  psm will underline statements which have particular meaning for Prescott School.

" In another decision affecting use of district buildings, the board agreed to rent Prescott School to the Missoula International School for $20,000 a year for three years and $30,000 annually for two years as part of a five-year lease that will begin in August." 

psm - cheap rent and too long of a lease

and -

"Missoula Catholic Schools began renting Roosevelt School in 1999 to house St. Joseph Elementary School after MCPS decided to close Roosevelt because of declining enrollments and to save money."

psm - another public school being used by a private school, not fair to our public school children and shows disloyalty by school members

and -

"On the Prescott School issue, five of the elementary board members voted in favor of renting the building to Missoula International School. Bellin and Trustee Toni Rehbein both abstained from the vote. Bellin's son attended the nonprofit Spanish immersion school and Rehbein served as president on its board of directors several years ago."

psm - it was only in 1999 and 2000 that Toni Rehbein served as President for MIS - at one point Rehbein states that it was 6 years since she had served as an officer for MIS when it had only been approximately 3-4 years.

and -

"Rattlesnake parent Dave Patterson criticized the lease, saying the rent MCPS is charging is too low and amounts to the district subsidizing a private school. He urged the board to vote against approving the lease.
"Let's take some time to look at alternatives that don't compete with public schools," Patterson said."

psm - essentially the public is paying for a private school leasing one of our prized public schools - most assuredly, the public has faced a million dollar loss (psm's estimation) due to the lease as of 2012.

psm - school district rushed into the lease with MIS

and -

"Missoula resident Kathy Pierandozzi echoed Patterson's comments."I think we could do better than this," she said. "It's an insult to the taxpayers after you just closed three schools to then rent this school for such a low amount."

psm - the Rattlesnake parents and children went through a tragedy, so Pierandozzi is correct - the amount of the rent is an insult to these people and a sweetheart deal to Rehbein's friends at MIS


Parent Teresa Jacobs also expressed concern about competition with a new private school in the Rattlesnake neighborhood and noted she would rather see the district invest in offering its own language immersion program.
"I think we will lose students in that neighborhood," she said."

psm - There are a lot of students from the Rattlesnake area attending MIS - just witness all the cars pulling into the school on school days around when the school day starts and the MIS stickers on cars in the Rattlesnake!