On March 25, at 1:00 a.m., 2004, the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees voted to close THREE schools on the north side of Missoula. This was, as the title of the post states, one of the most tragic decisions ever in Missoula's educational scene. The neighborhood school is the lynch pin of a successful educational system and to take is away is heartbreaking for all.
The votes for the closures were: Rosemary Harrison, Chair of the Board, Jenda Hemphill, Naomi Kimbell(who just weeks later would become the executive director of Missoula International School), and David Merrill (who was elected to reopen Prescott School in a prior year therefore dismissing his mandate for supporting Prescott School).
In the second vote for the closures(this was due to an Open Meeting lawsuit filed by Molly Moody and Allan Oines) the closure MCPS Trustees were Rosemary Harrison, Jenda Hemphill, Toni Rehbein (past President and Vice President of Missoula International School), Scott Bixler, and Joe Toth.
The superintendent of Missoula County Public Schools at the time of the school closures was Jim Clark. Clark in psm's opinion will go down as one of the country's worst superintendents due to his shortsighted, mismanaged, and cold-hearted decisions. During Clark's tenure another tragic decision was approved by MCPS, the sale of Roosevelt School to St. Josephs School, a Catholic school.
The negative consequences have been many. Instead of saving money the school closures have cost Missoulians most likely millions of dollars. East Missoula children attend Bonner in droves. Many Rattlesnake area children and other Missoula children now attend Missoula International School which is now located in Prescott School in a most disloyal decision shortly after the closures costing taxpayers now in the millions due to funding formulas based on enrollment. Thousands and thousands of dollars have gone into renovating the schools to which the children were relocated. Busing costs have increased. We, the public and perhaps even school officials will never know the true cost of the these school closures. The school district will try to keep the ongoing costs from public view as much as possible. For example, psm found that the removing of the science equipment taken out of Rattlesnake Middle School cost the district approximately $10,000! This information was revealed due to a Request for Documents case.
Also tragic were the ties and the bonds that broke when our children were torn away from the schools for which they knew for so long. Strong friendships were broken. Teachers whom loved their schools and who had taught in the schools for decades were asked to teach in a totally new environment. Traditions which were recognized for decades were ended.
What a tragedy!!!
Prescott School Missoula was so effected by this decision as a son was to attend Rattlesnake Middle School the following year. Instead of walking a couple of blocks to school for his 6th-8th grades, he was forced to attend a school quite far from home which was by the way overcrowded from the beginning, Washington Middle School. Two of three sons attended Prescott School and even psm's grandmother attended Prescott in the early 1900's!! Prescott School Missoula has never gotten over this tragic decision and is why psm had created this blog. Prescott School must be reopened so this tragic decision lasts as few years as possible.
Our hearts were broken into a million pieces 10 years ago today.
May we never forget so that it does not happen to children in Missoula again.
No comments:
Post a Comment