MCPS goes forward with approval of Prescott School/MIS lease in 2004 even though a lawsuit had been filed against MCPS asking the court to void the board's decision to close three schools, which included Prescott

Below one can read parts of a Missoulian article written on May 11, 2004 by Jane Rider reporting on the proposed lease of Prescott School by Missoula International School.

Prescott School Missoula would like to bring to light the fact that the Prescott School/MIS lease was approved during the time in which  a lawsuit was filed  by two Missoula residents against MCPS that alleged the district violated state open meetings law during its budget preparation process just days before the May 11, 2004 Board Meeting.

MCPS Trustees knew they had been served a lawsuit in which Prescott School was involved AND WENT AHEAD WITH LEASING DISCUSSIONS OF PRESCOTT WITH MISSOULA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL.

Prescott School Missoula discussed this situation with a citizen knowledgeable with land issues.  This citizen's opinion on this issue was that the correct course of action by the attorney for the plaintiffs, John Schonz (may not be correct spelling) , Molly Moody and Allen Oinnes, would have been to file a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop any lease negotiations.

Due to the fact that the attorney for the plaintiffs was not "on his game" the Prescott/MIS lease discussions went forward.

The title of the May 11, 20004 Missoulian article is -

"Spanish school eyes Prescott space"

Parts of the article follow -
 
- "Missoula International School has expressed interest in leasing Prescott Elementary School to consolidate its operations at one building.
- "The issue was discussed at Missoula County Public Schools' Finance & Operations Committee meeting last month. The committee recommended the administration continue talks with the international school and seek a legal opinion as to whether the district needs to issue a formal "request for proposals" before considering the deal."

- "Missoula International School is a nonprofit Spanish immersion school that serves children from preschool through third grade. The school currently instructs about 70 students at two locations. It owns a building at 518 South Ave. W., where the preschool and kindergarten classes are currently held. In addition, it leases space from the University Congregational Church on University Avenue to instruct students in first, second and third grades."

- "Missoula International hopes to consolidate at one location in time for the start of the 2004-05 fall school year, Pierpoint said Monday."

- "Though there are many buildings available in Missoula, few of them offer classrooms and play space, she said. Prescott became a possibility after MCPS' school board voted 4-3 on March 24 to close the lower Rattlesnake elementary school, along with Mount Jumbo Elementary and Rattlesnake Middle School, to help balance the 2004-05 elementary budget."

- "The district's plan calls for relocating most of the Rattlesnake middle-schoolers to Washington Middle School and transforming Rattlesnake Middle School into a K-5 elementary school in the upper Rattlesnake that would serve students who normally would have attended Mount Jumbo and Prescott."

- "But looming over any action is a lawsuit filed last week by two Missoula residents against MCPS that alleges the district violated state open meetings law during its budget preparation process this spring. The lawsuit asks the court to void the board's decision to close the three schools."

- "If successful, the lawsuit would require the district to gather more public input and provide citizens and trustees with greater access to district budget team meetings, more options and decision-making documents that school administrators considered early on before recommending how to balance the 2004-05 budget."