Chart reveals MIS' dramatic increase in enrollment since leasing Prescott School undermining MCPS and is costing millions for Missoula taxpayers

Below is a chart showing the increase in enrollment for Missoula International School. 

Missoula International School Enrollment History*

Year	P	K		1	2	3	4	5	6	7		8		Total	Inc.
2002-2003		14		6										20
2003-2004		19		9	5									33	13
2004-2005		19		12	ß11à		ß7à							49	16
2005-2006		20		12	10	7	9	3	3					64	15
2006-2007		14		ß65à (no grade breakdown)										79	15
2007-2008		20		13	16	16	8	8	5	8		2		96	17
2008-2009		ß38à			ß25à		ß20à		ß15à					98	2
2009-2010		13		17	22	9	11	11	6	4		3		96	-2
2010-2011		24		11	17	23	10	14	13	4		5		121	25
2011-2012
2012-2013

 *The above enrollment information was obtained from the Missoula County Superintendent of Schools office on Spruce St. in downtown Missoula.

*2011-2012 information forth coming

Missoula International School began leasing Prescott School in 2004. The lease was approved for a 5 year term. (MCPS Trustees must have been in a generous mood [with our public facility] so they lengthened the term MIS requested by three years)

Even though citizens, including a professional working in the field of mathematics, warned MCPS Trustees that assisting a private school was not in the best interests of the school district and would cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars if the enrollment of MIS grew the Trustees approved the ratification of a lease.

As one can see from the chart, MIS enrollment has increased substantially, thus the loses to the district have also increased dramatically with each passing year, as each student brings approximately $4,000. to $5,000 to the district.  See June 8th, 2004 letter to the editor in the Missoulian by David Patterson for the warning to school district Trustees. This letter as well as a public comment by Patterson was ignored by MCPS Trustees in 2004. Another email letter to MCPS Board of Trustees and to Superintendent Alex Apostle before the 2011 extension discussions warned Trustees of a $500,000/year loss due to the lease.  This warning was ignored by all Trustees and the superintendent, in addition to the Director of Business Services, Pat McHugh.

When the increase in MIS enrollment and the loss of state funding is brought up by responsible citizens during MCPS Board Meetings one may hear Trustees stating that private school enrollment in Missoula is less than in other cities OR the increase in enrollment at MIS is because the students are transferring from other private schools. These comments are either not relevant to the lease issue or there is no supporting data for the statement.

Two extensions of Prescott School by MIS were approved by MCPS Board of Trustees, one in 2009 and one in 2011. The first extension in 2009 was for 3 years and the second extension in 2011 was for 5 years!