Rosemary Harrison, former MCPS Trustee and Board Chair- Prescott School's (and Roosevelt School's) worst enemy

Rosemary Harrison voted several times to close Prescott School

In 2001, 2003 and again in 2004, Rosemary Harrison, former Missoula County Public Schools Board Chairwoman, voted to close Prescott School. After the School Board elections in 2001 and 2003, the vote was reversed by pro-neighborhood school Trustees. Harrison, unfortunately, finally succeeded in her quest to close Prescott School in 2004.

Rosemary Harrison is most likely (there are others that are close) Prescott School's worst enemy.

Of course, Harrison had to have others to help her in her closure quest.  These were: Trustee Jenda Hemphill, Superintendent Jim Clark, Trustee David Merrill, and Trustee Naomi Kimbell (see prior posts regarding Naomi Kimbell's role in the school closure decision and her subsequent employment with MIS as executive director), and Prescott principal, Cindy Christensen. 

In the second vote to close the three schools due to a lawsuit against Harrison, etc. and Clark, more help for Harrison's closure quest came with Trustee Toni Rehbein, now Board Chair (see prior posts regarding her role in the leasing of Prescott School to a school for which she had served as president shortly before being elected to the MCPS Board of Trustees, Missoula International School), Trustee Scott Bixler, and Trustee Joe Toth.

There are other district officials that have been hostile towards Prescott School, however, the individuals above stand out most prominently.

Quotes from the Missoulian article about the closures follow:

"Public comments after the two budget decisions early Thursday morning did reveal deep division remains on the board.
"The decision tonight is enormously harmful to our kids," Dussault said. "It's not in the long-term interest of the district."

Added Rogers: "I don't think we know the ramifications of the decision.  We'll be right back here next year, making cuts."

Harrison provided the counterpoint: "I really do feel that we have made a good decision, and that makes me feel glad," she said.

Some trustees and members of the public who stayed until the end of the meeting called for greater public involvement in the budgeting process.

They noted that the budget team that crafted the recommendations presented to the board included district officials and principals, but no members of the board or the public.

Bellin said she hoped that next year the district would not have "an exclusive administration-only budget team."

Below is a link to a Missoulian article on the 2004 school closures for which she voted as the Chairwoman of the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees.

Jumbo, Prescott schools closed

(Prescott School Missoula is working on including the link (that works) for this post.)