Low rent will hurt, not help district - by David Patterson in 2004

Low rent will hurt, not help district - letter to the editor by David Patterson on June 8, 2004

Click the above link to read the entire letter to the editor by David Patterson.


A letter to the editor with a link above titled, "Low rent will hurt, not help district" by Rattlesnake resident David Patterson explains unequivocally that leasing Prescott School to Missoula International School spells financial disaster for MCPS!  It does not make sense to lease one of our valuable neighborhood schools to a private school as David has clearly stated in his letter.

Prescott School needs to open it's doors to public school students after the lease expires in 2017. Denying any further lease extensions to MIS would end the long nightmare caused by leasing Prescott School to MIS.  This lease was approved by disloyal Trustees in 2004 and extensions in 2009 and 2012 were subsequently approved by many of the same Trustees and other equally disloyal Trustees. 

Can you just imagine the huge financial hit this has been for MCPS since 2004 (a toal of 13 years) !?

Some statements from the letter follow:

"...Board will consider a proposal from the Missoula International School to lease Prescott School for five years at $20,000 per year for the first three years and $30,000 per year for the last two years. Utilities and maintenance may be included. I have serious concerns about this proposal and so should anyone concerned about the health of our public schools."

and -

"The price is ridiculously low - about what you would pay to rent a moderately large house in Missoula. Such a low rent would amount to a subsidy to a private school which competes for students with our public schools. Because of Montana's enrollment-based school funding formula, if the International School attracts even five additional students because of this move, then the rental loses more than it gains for the school district. If the International School expands further, the loss to the public schools could run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars."

and -

"It is the responsibility of the school district to provide the best education possible to public school students, not to help private schools. Every decision the School Board makes should be based on the answer to one question: does this benefit our public schools? The answer in this case is clearly "no". Alternative uses of Prescott that do not compete with the public schools should be explored first."