TONI REHBEIN - not popular in Missoula!

Before the February 2013 MCPS Board Meeting to address the unpopular raise for Superintendent Alex Apostle there was a scheduled protest against the raise. People lined up and entered the Sentinel High School on the gym side of the high school.  

Some people chose to picket in front of the high school before entering the building to attend the meeting.

One picketer chose to single out former MCPS Board Chairwoman Toni Rehbein. As one can see Prescott School Missoula is not the only one that has negative feelings for Rehbein. Take a look at the picture -





"NO MORE Rehbein"

The sign on the left states, "NO MORE Rehbein"

 The middle  sign reads "Cost of IB - loss of sections, Increase Class Size, and Locked Computer Labs",  and the sign on the right says,  "SHOW SOME Respect to Real Educators!"

Julie Lennox with Superintendent Alex Apostle at a MCPS Property Meeting in December of 2013

Superintendent Alex Apostle and Missoula International School headmaster Julie Lennox at a December 2913 MCPS Property Meeting

Was Superintendent Alex Apostle hired to help to continue the lease of Prescott School to Missoula International School?

We know that Julie Lennox, headmaster of Missoula International School was in the leadership of MIS(Missoula International School) at the same time as former Missoula County Public Schools Chairwoman Toni Rehbein. We know that Trustee Rehbein had a good working relationship with Superintendent Apostle and helped to select him as MCPS Superintendent following the resignation of Superintendent Jim Clark.

Summer series on 100 icons of Missoula kicks off - Prescott School - a Missoula icon

Click on the link below to read an article about Missoula icons. The Missoulian has printed a picture of a Missoula icon every day since June 30th.

Summer series on 100 icons of Missoula kicks off

Prescott School could also be be considered a Missoula icon.

Prescott School has been a part of Missoula since 1893 - the same year that the University of Montana began it's higher education endeavors in Missoula. 

Prescott School is near some of the Missoula icons which have been featured in the newspaper. 

Some nearby icons to Prescott School have been Main Hall and Mount Jumbo. A flower, Missoula Phlox was featured recently - which grows on Waterworks hill, also close to Prescott School.

MCPS academies to give kids career head starts August 9th, 2014 edition of the Missoulian

Click on the link below to read about the MCPS academies.

MCPS academies to give kids career head starts


It would behoove the MCPS school district to just open our closed schools, terminate the lease with other schools and reopen these schools as the smaller school helps the entire district's children to succeed - as Missoula International School is finding out.

G. Lee Meltzer - former Prescott alum passed away in October of 2013

Click the link below to read an obituary of a former Prescott School student. 

This blog is attempting to post the obituary of former Prescott School students when they appear in the Missoulian.
G. Lee Meltzer


A quote from the obituary states:

"He was born on April 25, 1949, in Missoula to George C. “Sonny” Meltzer and Virginia Lee Rinke Meltzer. His primary home was on Jackson Street in the lower Rattlesnake, where he attended Prescott Grade School and went on to Hellgate High School, graduating in 1967. A football player for Hellgate High School, Lee was named to the all-state team for both offense and defense, and played in the annual East-West Shrine Game in Great Falls."

Prescott School Missoula extends condolences to the family of Lee Meltzer. 

MIssoula County Public Schools Board Spotlight: Jim Sadler - Trustee since 1994

During the many years of Jim Sadler's service on the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees as a high school member there have been several heartbreaking and unnecessary decisions that have negatively affected so many Missoula children's lives. A few of the sad events in recent years are: school closures, a school sale, leases of our public schools to private schools, and references of closing Hellgate High and of selling other elementary schools. During discussions on many of these issues Jim Sadler voiced his support even though most were elementary school issues and he is a high school trustee. In addition, Sadler wrote a letter recommending the razing of the historic old Roosevelt School on 6th Street to make room for a parking lot for Hellgate students.

Prescott School Missoula believes that there has been enough tragedy and sadness due to the erosion of our neighborhood school infrastructure mentioned above. Missoula needs trustees that will protect our valuable and beloved schools which are our children's birthright and part of Missoula's heritage.

One reason for the creation of this blog and the sister blog missoula schools watchdog is to share information which can provide citizens with insight into the backgrounds and character of MCPS Trustees. Resumes mean something.

Ideally, the information below would have been posted at an earlier date so that citizens would have access to it before casting their votes for the school board positions. For a variety of reasons this was not able to be accomplished, however, this informatin can be of value if Jim Sadler decides to run again for the MCPS Board.

The decision to post this information on the Prescott School Missoula blog as well as it's sister blog is that Trustee Sadler has NEVER supported Prescott School for use by public school students and has ALWAYS advocated for the lease of Prescott to Missoula International School.

_________________________________________________________________________________

 

JIM SADLER MISSOULIAN  ARTICLES FROM 1984

 
Two articles published in the Missoulian newspaper one from June 13^th, 1984 and another from the June 29^th, 1984 Missoulian regarding long-time Missoula County Public Schools High School Trustee Jim Sadler.

 

Below is the June 13^th, 1984 Missoulian article


Former Missoula lawyer faces five theft charges

Former lawyer James Sadler of Missoula was arrested Tuesday afternoon and charged with stealing almost $80,000 of his client’s money. Dressed in orange jail coveralls, Sadler appeared before Missoula District Judge Jack Green, who scheduled another hearing for June 27^th. A 5,000 bond requirement was dropped and Sadler was released on his own recognizance after spending less than two hours in Jail.

 
The five count charge filed in District court Tuesday by Deputy County Attorney Ed McLean accuses Sadler of taking money from clients in eal0estate deals and in his role as manager of an estate.

 
The counts range from $58,900 allegedly stolen in a real-estate deal to a $12,000 banking transaction, to “more than $300” from Sadler’s guardianship of an elderly man.

 
The thefts allegedly occurred between 1976 and 1982. McLean said the delay between the alleged incidents and the charges Tuesday was largely the result of the lengthy investigation.

 
A conviction for thefts of that magnitude can bring up to 10 years in prison on each count.

 
Sadler, 42, 1800 Cyprus Court, voluntarily surrendered this license to practice law last year when unspecified charges were brought before the Montana Bar Association.

 
The defendant’s lawyer, Thomas Frizzell of Missoula, declined comment on the case.

 
The following is from another article in the June 29^th, 1984 Missoulian under -


Community Briefs

 

Former lawyer James Sadler pleads innocent to theft chargesFormer Missoula lawyer James Sadler pleaded innocent Wednesday to charges that he stole almost $80,000 of his client’s money.

 A trial date has yet to be set before District Judge Jack Green.

Sadler, 42, 1808 Cyprus Court, was first charged June 12. The Missoula County attorney’s office accused him of five counts of theft involving client’s real estate deals and one elderly man’s estate. The approximately $80,000 is supposed to have been taken between 1976 and 1982.

 
in 1983 Sadler voluntarily surrendered his license to practice law after unspecified charges were brought before the state Bar Association. A conviction for thefts of the kind charged in Sadler’s case is punishable by up to 10 years in prison on each count.

 
Sadler is a former Missoula City Council member.

__________________________________________________________________________

 

Prescott School Missoula is of the understanding that Jim Sadler offered an Alford plea to these charges.

 
Note: The information above was posted on a missoulaschoolswatchdog.blogspot.com post.
The website missoula schools watchdog is a sister blog to Prescott School Missoula.

 

MCPS survey finds tech infrastructure highest priority for upgrade

MCPS survey finds tech infrastructure highest priority for upgrade

Pit Bulls and Prescott

In early June someone was seriously injured after being attacked by two pit bulls who lived near Prescott School. 

These pit bulls jumped the flimsy garden fence, broke loose from the stake on which their leashes were attached, and charged a woman. 

The pit bulls bit the left hand of the woman. During the attack the woman was forced to the ground which resulted in a broken right arm, which needed surgery.

This attack was the THIRD offense for these dogs. The first offense was a scare to some people. However, the second offense was a bite. 

It is the opinion of Prescott School Missoula that after the second attack the dogs needed to be confiscated. Why wait for another innocent victim - which is what happened? 

It was obvious that the young people were not responsible and were unable to keep their dogs contained in their yard!

In the course of this accident, the woman heard many references of a lot of children living in this area - something that the MCPS school district does not recognize.

Missoula International School Infiltration of the MCPS Board of Trustees - Public Comment at recent MCPS Board Meeting

A little background – Prescott School was closed along with 2 other north side schools in 2004 and immediately leased to Missoula International School. Our hearts were broken in 2004 and many, I included, ten years later continue to be saddened by this unnecessary tragedy.

A blog created to provide information on Prescott School and the lease to Missoula International School, at www.prescottschoolmissoula.blogspot.com has a post and a page (at the top of the blog) which addresses the infiltration or possible infiltration of Missoula International School supporters of the MCPS Board of Trustees and another MCPS position. 

A list was created to address this topic and includes parents, officers, and business associates of Missoula International School. On this list are: Toni Rehbein, Adam Duerk, Michael Smith, Marta Pierpoint, and perhaps Joseph Knapp. The connections or possible connections to MIS are listed on the website. There certainly could be more - how can we be sure if there are more MIS supporters on the Board - we can't!?

Additionally, other Trustees were no doubt influenced by the pro-MIS Trustees on the Board.

Are there more names to add to the list of MIS infiltrators after the election this May? I believe so – it has come to my attention that Trustee Newbold’s spouse works at ALPS, (as does the spouse of Trustee Smith). ALPS is a business at which David Rehbein, spouse of former Trustee Toni Rehbein, is employed and I believe is the CEO.

I haven’t spoken with Trustee Kendall on this issue; however, Kendall was part of discussions of a private school middle school in Prescott in 2005. After a conversation with her my opinion will be clearer.

In short, has MIS run candidates currently and in the past for the MCPS Board in order to make decisions favorable to them?

Was Prescott actually closed to make way for the MIS lease?  And after 10 years of reflection, in my opinion, is, yes to both questions.

Influencing elections by private schools, is nothing new to Missoula by the way – it has been revealed in a lawsuit that there was influence by the leadership of St. Joseph’s School in a MCPS election which may have enabled the sale of Roosevelt School.

Because of the influence or even the possible influence of the private school in MCPS elections a repeat lease extension of Prescott School to MIssoula International School needs to be taken off the table.

It is painfully clear that MCPS needs Prescott School. A modular, massive busing of Rattlesnake children out of the Valley is proof enough. 

MCPS needs to begin making plans to again open our school to public school students in 2017.

MIS needs to make plans for another location after 2017.

Dollars and Sense: The Cost Effectiveness of Small Schools: Rural School & Community Trust

Click on the  link below to read a report about the cost effectiveness of small schools, great schools like Prescott School!

There is so much important information in this report - this report just makes sense - common sense. 

If you are like me you have longed for stability and common sense to come back to Missoula in regard to its schools and neighborhoods. 

What is so important for children, families, neighborhoods, and cities in general is to have a small public school in each neighborhood.

A public school in each of Missoula's neighborhoods is exactly what we USED to have. 

Over the years, and little by little, our smaller neighborhood schools have been taken away - and in each of the neighborhoods that have lost their school, a true tragedy occurred. Just a handful of people can cause huge devastation to our community's neighborhoods. 

Let's turn this around. We can reverse a lot of the damage done to our neighborhoods if a lot of us get informed regarding the importance of the neighborhood public school.

A great start is for as many people in Missoula as possible read the report below. 

It's an easy report to read. It's an uplifting report to read as everything you knew in  your heart that is right for our schools and neighborhoods is right before your eyes.

Adios, MIS! Missoula, and in particular, the Rattlesnake, needs our beloved Prescott School for the good of our Missoula County Public School children.

Again, click the link below to read an amazingly informative report on small schools.


Dollars and Sense: The Cost Effectiveness of Small Schools: Rural School & Community Trust

May 2014 Public Comment at MCPS Board Meeting by Prescott School Advocate

The Public Comment follows:

In an update last month I mentioned that I was mailing a document and information request regarding the financial ramifications of leasing Prescott School to Missoula International School - which has been going on for a decade, since 2004.

I was quite disappointed in the response that I received from the Superintendent Apostle as he did not do the research needed to come up with a valid assessment of the situation at Prescott.

Superintendent Apostle refused to acknowledge that Missoula International School is attracting students within our school district boundaries. The superintendent made NO effort to contact Missoula International School, as far as I know, to gather information for which MIS would have access. It is reasonable for our school district to gather this information – as each student is worth approximately $5,000.

Of course, some students may come from out of our district. We are not saying that they don’t, however, most of them are most likely coming from the MCPS district boundaries!

Of course, Missoula International School would be operating in Missoula even if the school was not located in Prescott. The issue is – IT IS NOT OUR DUTY AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM TO BE ASSISTING A PRIVATE SCHOOL BY ALLOWING THEM TO LEASE ONE OF OUR CREAM OF THE CROP SCHOOL FACILITIES.

I HAVE DONE SOME HOMEWORK ON THIS ISSUE. I HAVE STOOD AT THE CORNER OF ELM STREET AND VAN BUREN AND WITNESSED 80 VEHICLES A DAY STREAMING ONTO ELM STREET AND TURNING TO DROP THEIR CHILDREN OFF AT Prescott. 

The district, the superintendent, would not do any research on the number of Rattlesnake children attending Missoula International School. I have done some – about 1/3 to ½ of the vehicles turning onto Elm Street going to Prescott are from the upper Rattlesnake.

I have seen close to hundreds of flyers by Missoula International School all over this city advertising their school to the general public of Missoula – not just out of district children. These flyers are placed in a Rattlesnake Valley grocery store, in the hidden hallways of stores, and even in Missoula area restrooms!

I have heard Missoula International School infomercials airing over the radio waves of Missoula advertising their school.

Also related to this issue are the many one page ads from the Catholic Schools advertising their school which is now located in the former Roosevelt School.

Missoulians, we are being taken for a private school ride and a very expensive one at that!!

I am requesting that Superintendent Apostle get together with officials from MIS, perhaps Julie Lennox, and gather the necessary information for not only myself but ALL Missoula citizens.

Note: Corrections were made to the original public comment in order to correct grammar and a couple of sentences that didn't make sense.  5/13/14

Former Prescott School student, Daniel Magnus Hamilton's, obituary

A former student of Prescott School passed away on May 30th, 2014. A quote from the obituary printed in the June 3, 2014 edition of the Missoulian states,

 "The family moved to Missoula in 1963, where Dan attended Prescott Grade School and graduated from Hellgate High School in 1974."

Prescott School Missoula would like to express our sincere sympathy to the family and friends of Daniel Hamilton.



Click on the link below to read the obituary printed in the Missoulian.

Daniel Magnus Hamilton

MISSOULIAN EDITORIAL: Investment in early education will pay off exponentially

MISSOULIAN EDITORIAL: Investment in early education will pay off exponentially



Yet another reason to reopen Prescott.

MCPS renews private schools lease for building - Missoulian article reporting on the 2011 lease extension - so many reasons to vote against the lease but MCPS serves Missoula International School once again!!

Click on the link below to read a Missoulian article published on July 12, 2011 and written by reporter Victoria Edwards.

 Prescott School Missoula may have already posted this article - have to go back and check - however, decided to re-post it (again, if already posted).

There were so many reasons NOT to have voted for this lease, however, being the masters of Missoula International School that they are, MCPS Trustees voted in disloyal fashion TO ALLOW PRIVATE SCHOOL CHILDREN TO OCCUPY OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING for another FIVE YEARS!

MCPS renews private schools lease for building

Picture of Missoula International School 1998 state document showing Toni Rehbein as President!!

Below is a picture taken of a Missoula International School state document (Montana Corporation Annual Report) dated April 13, 1998. The arrow is pointing to the name of Toni Rehbein and reveals that she was serving during this year as President of Missoula International School. The address listed for Rehbein is 123 W. Hillcrest Dr., Missoula, MT 59803.

Missoula International School 1998 State Document - Toni Rehbein - President

This document is very important as it highlights what is going on at Prescott School in relation to the lease to Missoula International School. Rehbein was very high in the leadership of Missoula International School, serving as President for 2 years and Vice President for one year. (The documents for the other years showing Rehbein's leadership position are forthcoming on future blog posts.) 

Rehbein was elected in 2004 to the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees and served as Chairwoman of the Board for a time before stepping down in 2013.

 Did the private school vote, both the Catholic and MIS, help Rehbein win the election in 2004 (in addition to her running mates, Scott Bixler, and Joe Toth?  Prescott School Missoula - YES!  These 3 Trustees, psm believes, Rehbein, Bixler, and Toth, were NOT challenged in elections subsequent to 2004, with the exception of the 2013 election when Bixler and Toth were ousted (yeah!). Rehbein chose not to run in 2013.

Prescott School Missoula maintains that Rehbein, along with other DISLOYAL MCPS officials, are using Prescott School to help Missoula International School with its facility needs which is totally corrupt for several reasons.

Our Rattlesnake Valley PUBLIC SCHOOL students are denied the availability to attend their neighborhood public school facility.

AND - Missoula County Public Schools is NOT supposed to be assisting private schools!!

This lease is costing taxpayers accumulatively (for a decade) millions of dollars! This lease is NOT a revenue producer!

The Prescott School property is not being properly maintained to district standards despite what MIS says and some district officials say.

ETC....

Linking the School Facility Study recommendations with Voting Record of Former MCPS Trustee Rosemary Harrison (who is NOW serving on this Committee!!)

Missoula County Public Schools, in my opinion, is making some drastic mistakes in its facilities planning.

And no wonder. The people involved in the planning process are none other than the people who got us into this mess in the first place.

One person, and I believe one of the major culprits in this latest facility plan fiasco, is Rosemary Harrison. Harrison voted to close several schools: Dickinson, Roosevelt, Prescott, Mt. Jumbo, and Rattlesnake Middle School.  Harrison went on to vote to sell Roosevelt School in 2005. Harrison also went on to vote for the lease of Prescott School to the competing private school Missoula International School in 2004 only weeks after the closure.

Other culprits in this gigantically expensive decades-long facility merry-go-round are:

 Roosevelt Closure - (circa 1998) - Superintendent Vagner, MCPS administrators, in addition to Harrison are Trustees Hemphill (Cummings), and others for which I am unsure at this time.

Roosevelt School Sale - (2005) – In addition to Harrison other Trustees voting for this sale were Jenda Hemphill, Toni Rehbein, Scott Bixler, and Joe Toth.

First North East School Closure Vote - (2004) - Superintendent Clark, MCPS administrators, and in addition to Harrison were Trustees Jenda Hemphill, Naomi Kimbell, and David Merrill.

Second North East School Closure Vote - (2004) – (This second vote was due to a repeat of the first school closure decision process due to violations in open meeting laws) - Superintendent Jim Clark, MCPS administrators, and in addition to Harrison were Trustees Jenda Hemphill, Toni Rehbein (formerly Toni Smartt), Scott Bixler, and Joe Toth.

Lease of Prescott School to Missoula International School – 2004 – Superintendent Clark, MCPS administrators, and in addition to Harrison were Trustees Jenda Hemphill, Naomi Kimbell, Scott Bixler, and Joe Toth.

Two lease extension of Prescott School to Missoula International School were approved by disloyal and malfeasance Trustees: one in 2009 and the other in 2011 under the leadership of Superintendent Alex Apostle (was this why he was hired?)

Did Missoulians know that in this facility planning study has NOT given the closed schools the value of an open school – that is all closed schools were considered INACTIVE and all open schools are considered ACTIVE!!

Look at the connection that is being made in this post and you will see how us Missoulians are being taken for a ride – a very expensive ride. Many of the schools which were closed, sold, and/or leased to the competition by Rosemary Harrison are the schools which are now considered INACTIVE and most likely the reason why Harrison was selected to be in this planning study. HARRISON (AND OTHER DISLOYAL PEOPLE) WANT TO COMPLETE WHAT SHE STARTED – the non-use or disposal of the schools for which she closed: Dickinson, Roosevelt (check - she accomplished the disposal of this property), Prescott, Mt. Jumbo, and Rattlesnake Middle School (check -she accomplished the disappearance of this school).

If Rosemary Harrison, other MCPS Facility Study people, and the MCPS officials  complete the plan that is outlined in this article, we Missoulians (students, families, taxpayers, neighborhoods) ARE THE LOSERS – BIG TIME!!

 This latest study is a fraud (just like others before it) because of who is involved and the complete and utter lack of due diligence in school size, school configuration, i.e. K-8 vs. middle schools, costs of busing, costs of remodeling vs. building a new school, etc.).

Please Missoulians, stick up for Prescott School and other INACTIVE schools, such as Whittier, Dickinson, Mt. Jumbo, and Jefferson – THESE SCHOOLS NEED A VOICE! It is the NEIGHBORHOOD SMALL SCHOOL THAT IS KING IN PROVIDING A GOOD EDUCATION FOR OUR STUDENTS. Contact MCPS school officials at: Missoula County Public Schools, 214 S. Sixth West, Missoula, MT 59801.

I think that all of the above is correct – my apologies if not.

Missoula County Public Schools Up to NO GOOD - AGAIN!!

In today's Missoulian, published on May 20th, 2014, an article about the facilities recommendations are outlined. One recommendation concerning Prescott is the continuation of the lease to Missoula International School.

On this blog, psm has outlined how this this lease is detrimental to the district, in particular to the Rattlesnake Valley students. 

How can this study completely dismiss the use of Prescott School in light of how crowded Rattlesnake and other schools have been and will continue to be in years to come? How can they actually recommend spending millions on enlarging Rattlesnake School without, again, discussing reopening Prescott?

It is because we have corruption at its highest taking place in our school district.

In the many posts on this blog one will read about just some of the culprits in this "BIGGEST SCANDAL IN MISSOULA involving one of the smallest schools in Missoula.

Just some of the outlaws, er, school officials:

Superintendent Jim Clark
Superintendent Alex Apostle


Trustee Jim Sadler (always voiced support for the lease)

Trustee Toni Rehbein{former MIS president and vice president and many times advocated for the lease - however, did not vote for the lease (however much she wished she could no doubt)}

Voted for the Prescott School/Missoula International School lease:

Trustee Rosemary Harrison
Trustee Jenda Hemphill
Trustee Naomi Kimbell
Trustee Scott Bixler
Trustee Joe Toth
Trustee Nancy Pickhardt
Trustee Joseph Knapp
Trustee Michael Smith

Trustee Shelly Wills
and others - (working on collecting Board minutes)

Trustee Tom Orr (always denigrated Prescott)

*Business Director Bruce Moyer
*Business Director Pat McHugh

*Maintenance and Operations Director Bruce Moyer  
*Maintenance and Operations Director Scott Reed

*The above administrators have voiced support for the lease.

Prescott School Missoula believes the main outlaws, er, school officials are: Trustees Sadler, Harrison, and Rehbein. These Trustees are EXTRA DISLOYAL TO THE CHILDREN OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IN psm's OPINION BY TEN PLUS YEARS OF OBSERVATION.

However, all of the above are culprits in this *unconstitutional issue.

*Assisting private schools is against the Montana constitution.

9 candidates file for seats on MCPS board Missoulian article dated

Even though it is late to contact the candidates whom are running for the MCPS School Board, there is still time to ask what each of the candidates thinks on the lease of Prescott School to the private school, Missoula International School.

Click on the link below to read about the MCPS School board candidates. psm is not sure of the emails of the candidates, however, we need to find out where these candidates stand on the importance of neighborhood schools, including Prescott School.

9 candidates file for seats on MCPS board

School's Out? A February 18th, 1999 Missoula Independent article on the closing of Roosevelt and Emma Dickinson Schools

Click on the link below to read a pretty long - but GREAT article on the closing of two other Missoula schools, Roosevelt and Emma Dickinson.

School's Out?

psm has had people relay that the process of closing these schools was horrendous and a very stressful experience.

All school closures are stressful and for what? So there can be a program or two or some administrators get a higher salary.

The pitting of programs and school buildings is not a valid comparison; it is not an apples to apples comparison. It is an apples to oranges comparison and need not occur!

There is a couple of paragraphs in this article where one can read that a Missoula council person weighed in the issue.

A school board member stated that the council person was infringing in school board business. Not so, according to the council person - a school closure effects the entire city in many different areas (this is paraphrasing - perhaps psm will get a chance to provide quotes from the article soon).

What the council person said was so true!! There are so many negative ramifications to closing a school and the true cost is never made available. When Prescott, Mt. Jumbo, and Rattlesnake Middle Schools were in the process of being closed a citizen requested that the city government get involved, however, psm believes that no one from the city weighed in the issue, unfortunately.

psm recommends this article by the Missoula Independent.

MCPS elementary levy passes; Kendall, Newbold elected trustees

Click on the link below to read about the newly elected Trustees to the MCPS Board.

MCPS elementary levy passes; Kendall, Newbold elected trustees

Playground constructed by MIssoula International School was approved at a 2010 F&O Meeting by THREE elementary MCPS Board members -TWO of them MIS PARENTS at one time!!!

Prescott School Missoula came across some documents regarding the playground changes to Prescott School proposed by Missoula International School in 2010 and decided to go ahead and share them today.

The newer playground equipment on the Prescott School playground by the berm were constructed by Missoula International School was approved by the MCPS Board process. (Later came the more prominent playground additions). 

Two Trustees were Missoula International School parents at one time and another Trustee voted to close Prescott and lease it to Missoula International School!

Which three Missoula County Public Schools Trustees were at the Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 Finance and Operations Committee Meeting and supported this projected change by a private school lessee to the the playground of a public school - Prescott? 

From the minutes of the meeting we see that the only elementary MCPS Trustees present at this meeting were Trustees Rehbein, Duerk, and Bixler.

Trustee Toni Rehbein, as one can read from the many posts on the Prescott School Missoula website, is a parent of a daughter who once attended MIS and, importantly, Toni was an officer of MIS for three years serving as the president and vice president (according to state records).

Trustee Adam Duerk is the parent of twins who once attended Missoula International School.

Trustee Scott Bixler, has for many years supported the lease of Prescott School to Missoula International School. Bixler voted to close Prescott School as well as Rattlesnake Middle School and Mt. Jumbo School in East Missoula in 2004. Subsequently, Bixler voted for the lease of Prescott School to Missoula International School in 2004.

Bixler always voted for lease extensions of Prescott School to MIS - once in 2009 and another in 2011.

A sentence in the minutes under the heading of "Direction" reads:

"The Committee supports the Administration's recommendation that Trustees approve the request by Missoula International Schools for the posted improvements to the Prescott playground at the September 14th Board meeting on the consent agenda."

At the September 14th, 2010 MCPS Board Meeting the quite radical changes to the Prescott School playground were approved on the consent agenda (which is a number of items compiled in one vote) - in other words - with NO discussion by the Board. Additionally, any MCPS Trustee who voted for the consent agenda  is also responsible for the approval of the playground changes. This would have included TONI REHBEIN (if she was present - psm can't remember as of this posting, however, who was mostly likely present at this meeting - psm will check the Board minutes at a later date), who regularly abstains from Prescott School/MIS lease votes (however, supports the lease in Board discussions).


Therefore - as readers can see - the playground changes and additions on one of our public school playgrounds were approved at the Finance and Operations Committee Meeting by TWO FORMER MISSOULA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENTS (!!!) along with a Trustee who voted for the closure of Prescott and the lease of Prescott to Missoula International School. And all Trustees, psm believes, voted for the Consent Agenda, therefore, the MIS playground changes.

The corruption never ends!

Note: psm plans to post pictures of the playground at a later date.

  

Missoula County Public Schools Superintendent, Business Manager, and Trustees DISLOYAL TO PRESCOTT SCHOOL!!

DISLOYAL MISSOULA COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS OFFICIALS


THE ABOVE IS A PICTURE OF DISLOYAL SCHOOL OFFICIALS AT A MISSOULA COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IN MARCH OF 2014.

PICTURED ABOVE ARE (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) ARE:
HIGH SCHOOL TRUSTEE DEBBIE DUPREE, HIGH SCHOOL TRUSTEE MARCIA HOLLAND, HIGH SCHOOL TRUSTEE JIM SADLER, SUPERINTENDENT ALEX APOSTLE, TRUSTEE MICHAEL SMITH, AND BUSINESS MANAGER PAT MCHUGH.

Trustees Debbie Dupree and Marcia Holland being high school Trustees do not vote on elementary issues, however, they have never voiced their reservations on the Prescott School/MIS lease as far as psm knows.

 

High school Trustee Jim Sadler has ON MANY OCCASIONS VOICED HIS SUPPORT FOR THE LEASE - every time the issue comes before the MCPS Board of Trustees, Sadler voices his support.

 

Superintendent Alex Apostle always has supported the lease - could the support of this lease be one of the reasons why Apostle was hired for this job?

Trustee Michael Smith voted for the extension of the Prescot School/MIS lease in 2011. As mentioned in a prior post, Smith's wife works for ALPS, a business for which Trustee Rehbein's husband works (or worked). 

 

Pat McHugh has always supported the lease which is surprising to psm. One would think that a business manager would know that this lease is not financially viable for the MCPS school district.

All of the MCPS Trustees in the picture above voted for Superintendent Alex Apostle's controversial raise in 2012. High superintendent and administrative salaries jeopardize the stability of the school system which includes school buildings.

2014 MCPS School Board Trustee Elections

There are three seats up for election on the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees on May 6, 2014. Two seats are K-12 and represent both the Elementary and High School Districts and one seat represents the Swan Valley, Seeley Lake, Potomac, Sunset and Clinton areas on the High School Board (and votes only on high school issues). The following individuals have filed to run for the open seats in the May 6 election.

School Board - Trustee Elections

 

High School District (Swan Valley, Seeley Lake, Potomac, Sunset, Clinton)

§ Debbie Dupree, P.O. Box 88, Seeley Lake, MT 59868

§ Frank Gruden, 15510 Kendall Creek Road, Clinton, MT 59825

§ Roy Handley, 19770 Schwartz Creek Road, Clinton, MT 59825

Elementary K-12

§ John Fletcher, 655 Evans Ave., Missoula, MT 59801

§ Rob Gibbons, 437 Connell Ave., Missoula, MT 59801

§ Heidi Kendall, 4021 Heritage Way, MT 59802

§ Jennifer Newbold, 3228 Cummins Way, Missoula, MT 59802

§ Molly Stockdale, 2519 Blackthorn Drive, Missoula, MT 59803

§ Scott Todd, 119 Mount Ave., Missoula, NT 59801

§ Jack Wade, 1805 Traynor Dr., Missoula, MT 59802

§ Shelly Wills, 3032 Queen Street, Missoula, MT 59801

Prescott School Missoula does not know most of the candidates that have filed to run for a seat on the MCPS Board of Trustees. psm has lost faith in the school board election process for many reasons. Here are a few:

-There is only slightly more than a month to get to know the names of the candidates and to familiarize oneself for which position they are running... i.e. a one year term, a three year term, elementary/high school or just high school, etc.

-There is no contact information in the Missoulian newspaper and just an address on the MCPS district website.

-There is not enough time to to contact the candidates to see where they stand on the issues and to state your concerns.

-Very few people vote in the school board elections, therefore, it is easier to get a candidate elected which may be unpopular. For instance, if the teachers union endorses a candidate this person has an advantage, whether or not he/she is liked by the majority of the public.  School Board elections need to take place in November along with other issues and positions.

Prescott School Missoula, therefore, cannot endorse any of the candidates.

However, psm would FOR SURE NOT like the two candidates  below on the Board as they have NOT been Prescott friendly in their past terms-

 

Shelly Wills - not a loyal MCPS trustee - voted for the last lease

Scott Todd - an administrative plant

 

NOT SURE ON THE FOLLOWING TWO CANDIDATES:

 

Jennifer Newbold - a Toni Rehbein plant - just learned this from a Missoulian blogger - husband works for ALPS (Toni Rehbein's husband works (worked?) for ALPS - (needs to be verified)

 

And it seemed that candidate Heidi Kendall did not listen to her constituents as closely as she needed on the infill issue when she served on the City Council. Infill may be good for some areas of the city, however, some citizens have had bad experiences with this planning tool.

Kendall's face book page shows that Tom Orr (ugh!) is endorsing her. Orr is a Prescott School foe as he denigrated Prescott many times while on the MCPS Board when he served a few years ago. Does this shed any negative light on the way Kendall would serve on the MCPS Board?  Would she listen to her constituents? Hard to tell at this point in time.

Another reason to question if Kendall would support neighborhood schools, i.e. Prescott School (keep in mind that psm has not visited with Kendall on the Prescott School/MIS lease) is that in 2005 Kendall and other representatives from three private schools spoke in favor of a combined middle school in Prescott. This fact does not go in Kendall's favor as far as Prescott School is concerned (or any public school for that matter).

Voting information from www.mcps.mt.org (The Missoula County Public Schools website)

5-3-14
edited 5-12-14

Missoulian article dated April 14, 2014 - MCPS candidate Q&A: Newbold urges personalized learning, critical thinking skills

Click on the link below on a Missoulian article reporting on MCPS board candidate Jennifer Newbold.

MCPS candidate Q&A: Newbold urges personalized learning, critical thinking skills


A blogger, "MobyDick" on the Missoulian blog stated that a blogger who shares psm's views, "Fighting4Missoula", is overstating the dangers of leasing Prescott School to Missoula International School and is stating that any such concerns are a "conspiracy".

How would Prescott School Missoula respond to this blogger,  "MobyDick"?

The dangers of leasing a private school are many. A blog dedicated to Prescott School posts some of these dangers - the blog you are reading - Prescott School Missoula.

The only thing anyone needs to point out and that can be summarized in about one or two sentences - LOOK WHO NOW OWNS ROOSEVELT SCHOOL!!! AND THEN LOOK WHO IS ON THE BOARD AND ON THE PROPERTY STUDY COMMITTEE!! 

Enough said.