Letters for Monday, June 9, 2008

Leasing undermines school system

Prescott School is again in the cross hairs of school officials.

Prescott's five-year lease to Missoula International School, ratified in 2004, expires in 2009. An appraisal of Prescott, not yet completed, was to also assist in determining a lease price if the board decided to continue to lease rather than sell.

Therefore, it was surprising that a lease extension was approved at a meeting last week, without a price, to be voted on at the June 10 board meeting. About 400 people have signed a petition against a sale and for a short-term lease of Prescott School. However, trustees have proposed to lease until 2012.

The current lease valuation process was not based on solid numbers and favored MIS with respect to term and price. Instead of extending the lease now, school officials need to issue a new request for proposal so as to procure the best price for the district.

I have nothing against private schools. However, leasing to MIS has undermined the school system. Because of per-child state funding we may have subsidized MIS $250,000 so far due to its growth and low rent. Trustees may also be violating their oath of office, which insists on loyalty to the district.

More troubling is if a trustee was a former officer of MIS, as was Board Chairwoman Toni Rehbein, who held the positions of president and vice president from 1998 to 2000. Rehbein abstained from voting for the lease, although she did voice support for a lease to MIS before the vote and extension or sale thereafter.

A responsible course of action is to offer a one- or two-year lease (using a request for proposal) to a non-competing entity until the district re-opens Prescott School for students or for other district needs.

Jeanne Joscelyn, Missoula