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.
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