"Low rent will hurt, not help district" is the title of David Patterson's letter to the Missoulian published on June 8th, 2004.
The topic of leasing Prescott School to Missoula International School was to be discussed at the June Board meeting that evening.
The majority of school trustees did not heed David Patterson's warnings of massive loses to the district and voted to award the lease to Missoula International School.
Millions of dollars have been lost to the district due to this lease.
Some quotes from the letter follow:
"At its June 8 meeting, the Missoula County Public Schools 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 - "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. Any agreement to rent to a private school should be at a rate that providesclear benefit to the school district."
David Patterson, Missoula
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