Thursday, March 27, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Today is the 10th anniverary of one of the most tragic school decisions in Missoula's history, the closure of Rattlesnake Middle School, Prescott School, and Mount Jumbo School
On March 25, at 1:00 a.m., 2004, the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees voted to close THREE schools on the north side of Missoula. This was, as the title of the post states, one of the most tragic decisions ever in Missoula's educational scene. The neighborhood school is the lynch pin of a successful educational system and to take is away is heartbreaking for all.
The votes for the closures were: Rosemary Harrison, Chair of the Board, Jenda Hemphill, Naomi Kimbell(who just weeks later would become the executive director of Missoula International School), and David Merrill (who was elected to reopen Prescott School in a prior year therefore dismissing his mandate for supporting Prescott School).
In the second vote for the closures(this was due to an Open Meeting lawsuit filed by Molly Moody and Allan Oines) the closure MCPS Trustees were Rosemary Harrison, Jenda Hemphill, Toni Rehbein (past President and Vice President of Missoula International School), Scott Bixler, and Joe Toth.
The superintendent of Missoula County Public Schools at the time of the school closures was Jim Clark. Clark in psm's opinion will go down as one of the country's worst superintendents due to his shortsighted, mismanaged, and cold-hearted decisions. During Clark's tenure another tragic decision was approved by MCPS, the sale of Roosevelt School to St. Josephs School, a Catholic school.
The negative consequences have been many. Instead of saving money the school closures have cost Missoulians most likely millions of dollars. East Missoula children attend Bonner in droves. Many Rattlesnake area children and other Missoula children now attend Missoula International School which is now located in Prescott School in a most disloyal decision shortly after the closures costing taxpayers now in the millions due to funding formulas based on enrollment. Thousands and thousands of dollars have gone into renovating the schools to which the children were relocated. Busing costs have increased. We, the public and perhaps even school officials will never know the true cost of the these school closures. The school district will try to keep the ongoing costs from public view as much as possible. For example, psm found that the removing of the science equipment taken out of Rattlesnake Middle School cost the district approximately $10,000! This information was revealed due to a Request for Documents case.
Also tragic were the ties and the bonds that broke when our children were torn away from the schools for which they knew for so long. Strong friendships were broken. Teachers whom loved their schools and who had taught in the schools for decades were asked to teach in a totally new environment. Traditions which were recognized for decades were ended.
What a tragedy!!!
Prescott School Missoula was so effected by this decision as a son was to attend Rattlesnake Middle School the following year. Instead of walking a couple of blocks to school for his 6th-8th grades, he was forced to attend a school quite far from home which was by the way overcrowded from the beginning, Washington Middle School. Two of three sons attended Prescott School and even psm's grandmother attended Prescott in the early 1900's!! Prescott School Missoula has never gotten over this tragic decision and is why psm had created this blog. Prescott School must be reopened so this tragic decision lasts as few years as possible.
Our hearts were broken into a million pieces 10 years ago today.
May we never forget so that it does not happen to children in Missoula again.
The votes for the closures were: Rosemary Harrison, Chair of the Board, Jenda Hemphill, Naomi Kimbell(who just weeks later would become the executive director of Missoula International School), and David Merrill (who was elected to reopen Prescott School in a prior year therefore dismissing his mandate for supporting Prescott School).
In the second vote for the closures(this was due to an Open Meeting lawsuit filed by Molly Moody and Allan Oines) the closure MCPS Trustees were Rosemary Harrison, Jenda Hemphill, Toni Rehbein (past President and Vice President of Missoula International School), Scott Bixler, and Joe Toth.
The superintendent of Missoula County Public Schools at the time of the school closures was Jim Clark. Clark in psm's opinion will go down as one of the country's worst superintendents due to his shortsighted, mismanaged, and cold-hearted decisions. During Clark's tenure another tragic decision was approved by MCPS, the sale of Roosevelt School to St. Josephs School, a Catholic school.
The negative consequences have been many. Instead of saving money the school closures have cost Missoulians most likely millions of dollars. East Missoula children attend Bonner in droves. Many Rattlesnake area children and other Missoula children now attend Missoula International School which is now located in Prescott School in a most disloyal decision shortly after the closures costing taxpayers now in the millions due to funding formulas based on enrollment. Thousands and thousands of dollars have gone into renovating the schools to which the children were relocated. Busing costs have increased. We, the public and perhaps even school officials will never know the true cost of the these school closures. The school district will try to keep the ongoing costs from public view as much as possible. For example, psm found that the removing of the science equipment taken out of Rattlesnake Middle School cost the district approximately $10,000! This information was revealed due to a Request for Documents case.
Also tragic were the ties and the bonds that broke when our children were torn away from the schools for which they knew for so long. Strong friendships were broken. Teachers whom loved their schools and who had taught in the schools for decades were asked to teach in a totally new environment. Traditions which were recognized for decades were ended.
What a tragedy!!!
Prescott School Missoula was so effected by this decision as a son was to attend Rattlesnake Middle School the following year. Instead of walking a couple of blocks to school for his 6th-8th grades, he was forced to attend a school quite far from home which was by the way overcrowded from the beginning, Washington Middle School. Two of three sons attended Prescott School and even psm's grandmother attended Prescott in the early 1900's!! Prescott School Missoula has never gotten over this tragic decision and is why psm had created this blog. Prescott School must be reopened so this tragic decision lasts as few years as possible.
Our hearts were broken into a million pieces 10 years ago today.
May we never forget so that it does not happen to children in Missoula again.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Thanks for everything - Fred Allendorf writes a letter to the Missoulian thanking the community for its support after the avalanche
Fred Allendorf writes a letter to the Missoulian thanking the community for the support he and his family received after the tragic avalanche hit his home on Harrison Street near Prescott School and killed his wife, Michel.
Click on the link below to read Fred's heartfelt letter.
Thanks for everything
Prescott School Missoula extends heartfelt sympathy for Fred and his family.
Click on the link below to read Fred's heartfelt letter.
Thanks for everything
Prescott School Missoula extends heartfelt sympathy for Fred and his family.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
BEWARE OF MIS SUPPORTERS CALLING PRESCOTT SCHOOL "THE OLD PRESCOTT BUILDING"!!! PRESCOTT SCHOOL IS NOT AN OLD SCHOOL - MIS WISHES TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE PRESCOTT IS NOT AN MCPS SCHOOL!!
Beware of language being used by Missoula International School employees, families, and supporters of the private school leasing Prescott School.
Today Prescott School Missoula was attending church and during the part of the service where people can come to the podium and deliver an announcement a MIS employee spoke.
This MIS employee (the librarian and something else) was speaking to the congregation about the avalanche in the neighborhood of the MIS school. She stated that MIS used the church's building for their classes for the younger grades (K-3rd or 4th) for a day when the school was closed due to avalanche warnings on Mt. Jumbo. Remember, that Prescott School is at the base of Mount Jumbo and that the Rattlesnake avalanche on February 28th was just three blocks up from the school.
Did everyone catch that?!! This wording may give someone that is not familiar with the Missoula International School/Prescott School lease the impression that Prescott School is an old school and even that Prescott School is not owned by Missoula County Public Schools!!
This is just another tactic by Missoula International School and probably by MCPS to avoid the obvious conflict of leasing a public school to a private school.
Question? Jefferson School, located by the mall on South Avenue is now housing the fine arts and the preschool program for MPCS. Does one ever hear the phrase, "the old Jefferson building"? psm has never heard anyone use than wording for Jefferson,
Washington School most likely will not be called that for quite some time if ever as it is housing about 650 kids now that Rattlesnake Middle School was closed (by the same people who closed Prescott and most whom voted for the Prescott/MIS lease.
All three schools, Prescott, Jefferson, and Washington, were built in the same year and with the same design (just different sizes).
In other words, Prescott, Jefferson, and Washington could be called the 1951 triplets. psm likes that!!
Today Prescott School Missoula was attending church and during the part of the service where people can come to the podium and deliver an announcement a MIS employee spoke.
This MIS employee (the librarian and something else) was speaking to the congregation about the avalanche in the neighborhood of the MIS school. She stated that MIS used the church's building for their classes for the younger grades (K-3rd or 4th) for a day when the school was closed due to avalanche warnings on Mt. Jumbo. Remember, that Prescott School is at the base of Mount Jumbo and that the Rattlesnake avalanche on February 28th was just three blocks up from the school.
The MIS employee stated that Missoula International School was located in the old Prescott Building in the Rattlesnake!!
Did everyone catch that?!! This wording may give someone that is not familiar with the Missoula International School/Prescott School lease the impression that Prescott School is an old school and even that Prescott School is not owned by Missoula County Public Schools!!
This is just another tactic by Missoula International School and probably by MCPS to avoid the obvious conflict of leasing a public school to a private school.
Question? Jefferson School, located by the mall on South Avenue is now housing the fine arts and the preschool program for MPCS. Does one ever hear the phrase, "the old Jefferson building"? psm has never heard anyone use than wording for Jefferson,
Washington School most likely will not be called that for quite some time if ever as it is housing about 650 kids now that Rattlesnake Middle School was closed (by the same people who closed Prescott and most whom voted for the Prescott/MIS lease.
All three schools, Prescott, Jefferson, and Washington, were built in the same year and with the same design (just different sizes).
In other words, Prescott, Jefferson, and Washington could be called the 1951 triplets. psm likes that!!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
AVALANCHE NEAR PRESCOTT!!!
At around 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 28th, 2014, a huge avalanche only 3 blocks north of Prescott School came down off of Mount Jumbo and completely demolished a home at 1440 Harrison.
Prescott's address is 1100 Harrison so one can see just how close this avalanche was to our school.
At the time of this writing, it is now known that, tragically, there has been a death as a result of the avalanche. Michel Colville died a couple of days after the avalanche.
Colville was the last of the three people which had to be dug out of the huge amounts of snow. It took three hours to find and rescue her. On the other hand, it took one hour to rescue a neighborhood boy who was also buried by the avalanche, and two hours to rescue Colville's husband, Fred Allendorf. Allendorf, as far as psm knows at this time is listed in serious condition at St. Patricks Hospital.
Prescott School Missoula extends sincere condolences to the family and friends of Michel Colville. psm also wishes the two other victims of the avalanche, the little boy and Fred, a quick recovery.
Prescott's address is 1100 Harrison so one can see just how close this avalanche was to our school.
At the time of this writing, it is now known that, tragically, there has been a death as a result of the avalanche. Michel Colville died a couple of days after the avalanche.
Colville was the last of the three people which had to be dug out of the huge amounts of snow. It took three hours to find and rescue her. On the other hand, it took one hour to rescue a neighborhood boy who was also buried by the avalanche, and two hours to rescue Colville's husband, Fred Allendorf. Allendorf, as far as psm knows at this time is listed in serious condition at St. Patricks Hospital.
Prescott School Missoula extends sincere condolences to the family and friends of Michel Colville. psm also wishes the two other victims of the avalanche, the little boy and Fred, a quick recovery.
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