Trustees ignored page 35 of Dr. Larry Swanson's demographic 2009 demographic report when voting to renew Prescott School/MIS lease in 2011

On page 35 of Dr. Larry Swanson's demographic report commissioned by the district in 2009 one can view a graph and a read a couple of paragraphs regarding Missoula County Public Schools student enrollment.

In the information provided by Dr. Swanson it states:

"The chart at the right shows enrollment counts in October of each year at compiled by MCPS for Kindergarten and Grades 1 through 5. Grade progression ratios were calculated for each grade using historical data and the progression ratio used in projecting future enrollment levels are averages for the last four years.  In estimating future kindergarten enrollment, a progression ratio was used based upon birth counts and projections.

"In general enrollment levels for these early grades have been falling for most of the period from the early '90s up to the present.  However, this trend is now beginning to bottom out and enrollment levels should begin to rise, coincide with the recent increase in births and with projected increases in younger children county-wide."

"This rise will ripple through these early grades starting with rising kindergarten numbers and 1st Grade numbers."

This information was available to all MCPS trustees in 2011 before they voted to extend the lease of Prescott School to Missoula International School!!


A citizen printed the chart out on page 35 of this report which was then posted with other pertinent information on a poster board which was displayed while making a public comment.  All trustees did not pay attention to this chart at the meeting or before.

Every trustee on the MCPS at this time and other trustees that voted for the lease or even supported the lease (some high school trustees) were not doing their due diligence when extending this lease.

What does this say about MCPS trustees when they ignore the district's own data and give a competing school continued access to one of our favorite public schools?  What does this say when only months later there were discussions of busing our Rattlesnake School kids to Paxson as the principal stated that enrollment had increased by 100 students in the time he had served as principal at Rattlesnake School?  What does this say when the district decided not to bus the children to what was actually a school at capacity itself (Paxson) and BUILT A MODULAR instead?

It says that we do not have a responsible school board.  It also says that we do not have a loyal school board. It most definitely says that we have a wreckless school board.

At this time we no longer have Trustees Rehbein, Toth, and Bixler, nor Drake Lemm on the MCPS Board of Trustees.  We need to get rid of the rest of them in the subsequent elections.  The viability of our school infrastructure is counting on it.

Edited on May 31, 2013