This post continues the last part of the report, "FULL INVESTIGATIVE REPORT ON THE CLOSURE AND LEASE OF PRESCOTT SCHOOL". It includes Sections 5 through 8 of the report.
SECTION 5 — MIS Representatives and Organizational Actions
5.1 Overview
MIS representatives played an active role in securing Prescott School.
Julie Lennox — MIS Head of School
Signed multiple lease extensions
Regularly attended MCPS meetings
Advocated for long‑term occupancy
Martha Newell — Former MIS Officer
Served on MIS Board with Rehbein
Lived near Prescott
Did not publicly support Prescott as a public school
MIS Organizational Actions
2004 Letter Requesting Prescott
MIS formally requested Prescott School before the second closure vote.
2005–2011 Letters
MIS repeatedly requested:
Lease extensions
Renovation permissions
Long‑term stability
Consideration for purchase
The 2011 letter emphasized the need for a five‑year facility to meet IBO accreditation requirements.
MIS Renovations
MIS made significant changes to Prescott’s playground and interior, some of which were inappropriate for a historic public building.
MIS’s Long‑Term Goal
MIS consistently sought to purchase Prescott School.
SECTION 6 — Financial Impacts, Lease Rates, and Ignored Warnings
6.1 Overview
The Prescott lease resulted in substantial financial losses for MCPS.
6.2 Lease Rates
Roosevelt School: $1.75/sq ft
Mount Jumbo School: $2.25/sq ft
Prescott School (MIS): $0.79/sq ft
MIS received a dramatically reduced rate.
6.3 Math Professor’s Warning
A University of Montana math professor warned:
“If the International School attracts even five additional students… the rental loses more than it gains.”
He warned losses could reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Trustees ignored this warning.
6.4 Estimated Losses
The professor later estimated MCPS lost approximately $500,000 in one year due to the lease.
MIS grew to 200 students, likely resulting in millions in losses over time.
6.5 Trustees Ignored Financial Red Flags
Trustees supporting the lease:
Ignored enrollment impacts
Ignored transportation costs
Ignored long‑term financial consequences
Approved lease extensions
6.6 Additional Financial Considerations
Increased busing costs
Loss of neighborhood school value
Complications from MIS renovations
Pressure for long‑term lease extensions
SECTION 7 — Community Impacts and Additional Considerations
7.1 Overview
The closure of Prescott had profound community impacts.
7.2 Impact on the Rattlesnake Community
Loss of a Neighborhood School
Prescott served the valley for 135 years. Its closure disrupted:
Walkability
Community identity
Family routines
Student Displacement
Approximately 600 middle school students were bused to other schools.
7.3 Impact on MCPS Operations
Transportation Costs
Costs were higher than stated.
Enrollment Losses
MIS’s growth reduced MCPS funding.
Property Management Challenges
MIS’s renovations complicated MCPS’s long‑term planning.
7.4 Community Conversations
Community members reported:
Inconsistent closure rationales
Predictions of closures that later proved true
Trustees under pressure
7.5 Broader Considerations
Neighborhood schools provide stability and community cohesion. Leasing public schools to private institutions creates long‑term risks.
SECTION 8 — Conclusion and Final Analysis
8.1 Overview
The closure and lease of Prescott School were the result of years of coordinated actions, shifting votes, and decisions that aligned with MIS’s expansion goals.
8.2 Key Findings
Repeated closure attempts
Alignment with MIS’s timeline
Conflicts of interest
Ignored financial warnings
Sweetheart lease rates
Long‑term community harm
8.3 Broader Implications
The Prescott case illustrates the risks of private influence on public school governance and underscores the need for ethical, transparent decision‑making.
8.4 Final Analysis
The closure of Prescott School was not inevitable. It resulted from:
Strategic timing
Undisclosed affiliations
Preferential treatment
Ignored warnings
Lack of transparency
The consequences were profound:
A neighborhood school lost
A community disrupted
A district financially harmed
8.5 Closing Statement
Prescott School served the Rattlesnake Valley for more than a century. Its closure and lease to a private institution were decisions that should never have been made without full transparency, ethical governance, and careful financial analysis.
The community deserved better.
This report stands as a record of what happened, why it happened, and how similar outcomes can be prevented in the future.
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