New West article from 2006 regarding a lawsuit against MCPS in the sale of Roosevelt School

Occasionally, Prescott School Missoula is compelled to include news about Roosevelt School.

Three of the five Trustees that voted to sell Roosevelt continue to serve on the MCPS School Board. These Trustees are: Board Chairwoman Toni Rehbein, Trustee Scott Bixler, and Trustee Joe Toth. The other two Trustees that voted to sell Roosevelt are former Board Chairwoman Rosemary Harrison and Trustee and fomer Board Chairwoman Jenda Hemphill (she became Board Chairwoman after Harrison was voted out of office in 2005).
                                               ****
 Quotes from the New West article follow:

"Good Schools Missoula, Inc., a new organization advocating for quality schools in Missoula County, has filed a lawsuit against the Missoula County Public School District and several of its School Board trustees. The group claims the trustees are individually liable for the financial discrepancies resulting from the breach of their fidiciary duties in the lease and sale of Roosevelt School."

and -

"What we're doing is trying to hold the school trustees accountable for selling Roosevelt School below its market value," Funsch said. "(The district) didn't even accept the highest offer for Roosevelt Public School."

and -

"The group also stated that the sale of Roosevelt School will increase property taxes, a reduction in opportunities for children who attend school in District 1, increased classroom congestion and reduced resources. Increased class sizes, children having to be bussed to distant facilities, traffic increases and increased workload for teachers are also negative impacts listed within group's lawsuit."

                                             ****

What happened with the loss of Roosevelt School is similar to what is happening at Prescott School. The Catholic Schools were leasing Roosevelt School at a reduced rate and subsequently was sold at a reduced rate - thus the term "sweetheart sale".

Prescott School is now being leased and has been leased at reduced rates - thus also taking advantage of a sweetheart lease deal.

Additionally, one has to account for the massive loses due to MCPS children attending our leased and now sold (in the case of Roosevelt School) treasured neighborhood public school buildings that are now occupied by private schools.  See prior posts regarding a math professors warning and page titled "MIS Sweetheart Lease" at the top of the home page.

Many believe that neither the Catholic School system nor MIS could lease nor could have bought (in the case of Roosevelt) comparable facilities at the price MCPS has/had given them had they gone into private sector real estate. 

The lawsuit went to the Supreme Court, however, the Court ruled  only on procedures, not the merits of the complaint. The Court did not rule in favor of Good Schools Missoula.

The link to the article on the Good Schools Missoula/Catholic Schools lawsuit is below -

http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/missoula_organization_wants_roosevelt_school_sale_voided_school_board_trust/