Click on the link below to read an article by Missoulian reporter Betsy Cohen in the November 3rd edition reporting on the overcrowding of Missoula County Public Schools such as Rattlesnake School, just up the road from Prescott School.
The school district has been disloyal and negligent in actions taken which affect our Rattlesnake Valley students.
They have closed and sold Lincoln School (1986?) so that it is not available for handling the overflow from Rattlesnake School.
MCPS Trustees then closed Prescott School (2004) and subsequently leased it (also 2004) to a private school Missoula International School.
Citizens, including a math professor at the University of Montana, have figured that the losses to the district have been in the hundreds of thousands and now after 9 years of the Prescott School/MIS lease the loses must be in the millions of dollars.
This is all due to the state funding formula which attaches approximately $5,000 to each student.
So when a student decides to attend a private school the district loses that $5,000. It is significant when a Missoula student decides to home school or attend a private school. It is even more significant and downright disloyal on the part of MCPS trustees and administrators when the student ATTENDS A PRIVATE SCHOOL WHICH IS HOUSED IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL which is the case of Missoula International School School students at Prescott School.
Another example of disloyalty by MCPS Trustees is the sale of Roosevelt School to St. Joseph's School in 2005. The enrollment of St. Joseph's School grew almost every year since the lease was approved around 1998 (not exactly sure of the year) and especially after the sale in 2005.
Families will surely take into consideration the school facility when deciding on a school including a private school and perhaps more so if a school is private. In each of the cases mentioned the public school was a HUGE UPGRADE IN THE PRIVATE SCHOOL'S PREVIOUS FACILITY/FACILITIES!!
The above cannot be overemphasized. The reason why these private schools pursue the public facility is to improve their school so as to attract additional students (which by the way come from the pool of children which attend MCPS).
Prescott School Missoula went before the Board for most every discussion of the leasing of Prescott School and before that for every attempt at closure. Along with others, psm mentioned the upcoming enrollment increase, that of the echo echo boom children (the grandchildren of the baby boomers).
This future increase of students throughout the district was substantiated by work done by Dr. Larry Swanson and others. Dr. Swanson had contributed many hours free of charge to the district before 2004 and in 2009 he was contracted to do a comprehensive study for the distinct. (See tab above on this blog).
All of the free and professional work by Dr. Swanson was brushed aside, at the peril of MCPS children and Missoula taxpayers, by the Trustees at this time.
The Trustees whom voted for the 2004 north side closures were: Chairwoman Rosemary Harrison, Trustees Jenda Hemphill, Naomi Kimbell, and David Merrill.
The Trustees whom voted for the 2004 north side closures in the second vote brought on by an open meeting lawsuit against the district by Molly Moody and Allan Oines, were: Rosemary Harrison, Jenda Hemphill, Naomi Kimbell (who later became MIS's executive director - see multiple posts of this blog!), Toni Rehbein, Scott Bixler, and Joe Toth. Trustee Carol Bellin was the lone dissenter.
The Trustees whom voted for the lease of Prescott School to Missoula International School are: Rosemary Harrison, Jenda Hemphill, Naomi Kimbell, Joe Toth, and Scott Bixler. Toni Rehbein recused herself from the vote (See multiple posts on the connections Toni Rehbein has with MIS), and Carol Bellin voted against the lease.
Trustees whom voted for the lease extension in 2009: Scott Bixler, Joe Toth, Joseph Knapp, and others (psm needs to look into the documents for information on other votes).
Trustees whom voted for the Prescott School/MIS lease in 2011: Scott Bixler, Shelly Wills, Joseph Knapp, and Michael Smith.
psm will correct the voting information if any is found to be incorrect and or incomplete.
All of these MCPS Trustees have shown disloyalty to the district by assisting a private school - when their loyalties are by law supposed to be ONLY to MCPS.
The picture for this article shows a modular at Rattlesnake School.
The article states that for the first time Rattlesnake students are being sent to Paxson.
MIS has received sweat heart leases for 9 years (see blog tab titled "MIS sweartheart lease"
MIS has been negligent in the care of the playground and perhaps other areas of the school.(See You Tube video)
MCPS has done maintenance on Prescott School at the district's expense, going against the lease agreement which stipulates that MIS is responsible for repair and maintenance. (See You Tube video)
psm is quite sure based on past experience that there have been other favors to MIS form the MCPS school district.
Going forward - MCPS needs to let MIS know that the lease will be terminated at the end of this school year(there is surprisingly an opt out clause in the lease - which has not been included for MCPS in past leases).
THEN MCPS NEEDS TO REOPEN PRESCOTT SCHOOL FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN.
How much more proof is there that WE NEED PRESCOTT SCHOOL!!
Booming student population pushes need for MCPS long-range facilities plan
Showing posts with label Demographic Study by Dr. Larry Swanson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Demographic Study by Dr. Larry Swanson. Show all posts
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
To MCPS officials: Our students need Prescott School - Your facility study needs to include it in district plans
Missoulians need Prescott School to remain a public school in the Rattlesnake Valley.
As predicted by a economist in Missoula who produced a demographic report for the district, our elementary school population has increased and will continue to increase in the next few years. See the link to the report above.
In the summer of 2012 the district built a modular on the playground of Rattlesnake School as the school was at capacity. The school had been using about 11 para-educators for a while due to the increase in class sizes. (A para-educator is needed in a classroom along with the main teacher if the class size is over a certain number of children due to state standards.)
The cost of the modular was about $250,000.
Why didn't the district consider re-opening Prescott School?
Prescott School Missoula is of the belief that the district, under Chairwoman Toni Rehbein, wished to continue helping out Missoula International School. Remember that Rehbein was the past president of MIS and also a vice president shortly before being elected to the school board.
Disloyalty, mismanagement, and corruption, as brought forth in the posts on this blog, explain some of what is going on with the closure and lease of Prescott School. Remember, professionals within our community are on the record stating that this lease has cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars PER YEAR, thus, overall this lease is costing the district millions of dollars.
Please contact the school board members and let them know you wish to keep Prescott School in the public school system for not only the Rattlesnake children but for all Missoulians - crowding conditions due to sending our students to other schools - effects everyone.
Our children DESERVE to be able to attend a neighborhood school - a school which many public school children in the Rattlesnake Valley have attended for over a century.
**Michael Beers
P.O. Box 5195
Missoula, MT 50806
Voice Mail – 728-2400 Ext. 4906
Home Phone - 406-728-1630
Email – mbeers@mcps.k12.mt.us
Term Expires – Year 2016
**Rose Dickson
1852 S. 10th Street W.
Missoula, Montana 59801
Voice Mail - 728-2400 Ext. 4901
Home Phone – 406-214-9467
Email – rdickson@mcps.k12.mt.us
Term Expires Year 2014
Swan Valley, Clinton, Potomac, and Sunset districts)
P.O. Box 88
Seeley Lake, MT 59868
Voice Mail: 728-2400 Ext. 4908
Home Phone - 406-677-3869
Email – ddupree@mcps.k12.mt.us
Term Expires Year 2014
2616 Wedgewood Ct.
Missoula, MT 59808
Voice Mail – 728-2400 Ext. 4909
Home Phone - 406-543-6598
Email – mholland@mcps.k12.mt.us
erm Expires Year 2015
100 Broadview Place
Missoula, MT 59803
Voice Mail – 728-2400 Ext. 4903
Home Phone – 406-542-3145
Email – jknapp@mcps.k12.mt.us
Term Expires – Year 2015
3860 Fox Farm Road
Missoula, MT 58902
Voice Mail – 728-2400 Ext. 4900
Home Phone 406-549-3995
Term Expires – Year 2016
*James Sadler (represents Target Range and Bonner
K-8 districts)
1220 Clements Road
Missoula, MT 59804
Voice Mail – 728-2400 Ext. 4910
Home Phone – 406-728-4743
Term Expires Year 2015
**Michael Smith
112 Rolling Green Place
Missoula, MT 59803
Voice Mail – 728-2400 Ext. 4902
Home Phone – 721-0313
Term Expires Year 2015
**Julie Tompkins
417 Woodford
Missoula, MT 59801
Voice Mail – 728-2400 Ext. 4907
Home Phone – 406-241-5396
Term Expires Year 2016
*Ann Wake (represents Lolo, Woodman,
and DeSmet K-8 districts)
12043 Pleasant Meadows
Lolo, MT 59847
Voice Mail 728-2400 Ext. 4904
Home Phone – 406- 552- 8063
Term Expires Year 2016
**Shelley Wills
3032 Queen Street
Missoula, MT 59801
Voice Mail – 728-2400 Ext. 4905
Home Phone – 406-543-3646
Contact Trustees - (psm cut and pasted the following information and typed out the above trustee info). If there is a problem contacting any of the trustee perhaps psm made an error. One can check on the district website for the addresses also at www. mcpsmt.org.
The Board of Trustees accepts public comment from students, staff, parents and community members through a variety of avenues. Options include:
The Board of Trustees accepts public comment from students, staff, parents and community members through a variety of avenues. Options include:
Sunday, May 19, 2013
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:
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
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
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Enrollment rises in Missoula K-8 classrooms as baby boomers' grandkids grow up
It is Prescott School Missoula's belief that this is one of the most important posts on this blog as it reveals blatant incompetence by extending the Prescott School/MIS lease in 2011in light of Dr. Swanson's demographic work which was available to all district officials.
Click on the link below to read a Missoulian article reporting on the increase in enrollment for MCPS elementary and middle school students, or in good old fashioned lingo - grade school students.
Enrollment rises in Missoula K-8 classrooms as baby boomers' grand kids grow up
Below are some quotes from the article -
"Missoula economist Larry Swanson was on target when he drafted enrollment projections for Missoula County Public Schools in 2009. Back then, the data about who lives in Missoula and the age of its residents told him the school district’s lower grades would experience an enrollment surge in the years to come, while high schools would decrease."
and -
"grandchildren of the baby boomer generation are behind the upswell, and why MCPS student enrollment numbers are pushing 8,600-plus and closing in on the all-time high enrollment of 10,000-plus in the eac----"
and -
"At Rattlesnake Elementary, it means significant “student management issues,” said Principal Jerry Seidensticker."
and -
“Last year, we jumped up by about 40 students and this year by about 50 students,” Seidensticker said. “With 440 kids, we’ve had to adjust things in the lunchroom and in scheduling recess.
“Managing the number of students in those common areas and in the halls becomes a challenge when you add in the big increase in students.”"
and -
""So far, the strategy to pair up the kindergarten class with the third-graders during lunchtime is working.
“If we did the kindergartners with the first-graders, I don’t know where we would put them all...”"
******
Prescott School Missoula comments below are in blue writing -
Click on the link at the top of the home page of this blog to read Dr. Swanson's demographic report presented to the district in approximately 2009 (psm needs to check on the exact year the report was completed.)
As Dr. Larry Swanson has worked with the district for the last
decade, which includes work he did for free for many years, this increase is no surprise to Prescott School Missoula.
In fact, BEFORE the approval of the lease extension of Prescott School to Missoula International School Prescott School Missoula mentioned many, many times during a public comment period or in letters to the trustees referencing Swanson's work that the school enrollment will increase due to the echo echo boomers ready to enroll in our schools.
Dr. Swanson's demographic information WAS PROVIDED TO THE DISTRICT for many years and most especially after Swanson's report was presented to the district in 2009.
During the public comment period at the July 2011 Board Meeting, Prescott School Missoula mentioned the report in addition to showing a page from Swanson's report with a chart showing a large spike in enrollment, including the years for which Missoula International School would be leasing Prescott School (until 2017) if the lease was to be extended.
Additonaly a long-term lease arrangement does not allow flexibility for the district, which as we have found MCPS needed only months after the lease extension of Prescott School to Missoula International School as revealed by the building of the modular at Rattlesnake School.
Actually, principal Seidensticker has had to deal with over crowding at Rattlesnake School for the last three years which Prescott School Missoula learned at a meeting at Rattlesnake School this spring.
All of this information was available to the trustees before the lease extension.
Not one trustee heeded this important demographic information when discussing the lease extension!
Why did trustees extend the lease for an additional 5 years?
Can one say incompetence? Can one say disloyalty? Can one say unqualified?
Missoula County Public Schools, as one can deduce from reading this information provided on this and other posts needs new leadership for the good of Rattlesnake Valley residents, northside residents and all residents of Missoula.
Our children deserve it. Missoula families deserve it. Missoula taxpayers deserve it.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Missoula International School hopes to renew lease on Prescott School building - Missoulian article from July of 2011
Why did Trustees ignore many facts about what was happening in the Rattlesnake Valley and in Missoula in general when they extended the lease for 5 more years?
Why did Trustees not take into account Missoula demographics (the district's has its own demographic report - see link on the top of the home page of Prescott School Missoula) - which pointed out that elementary enrollment was on the rise?
Trustees did not take into account that Rattlesnake School, just up the road was at capacity. This was painfully apparent to Rattlesnake principal, Jerry Seidensticker as he needed 11 para educators last school year as many classes were over the state limit for class size standards.
Trustees did not take into account the HUGE subdivision on E. Broadway (115 Units), which was sure to house elementary children, the Silvertip Apartments. News of these apartments was in the papers several times prior to this vote.
Since Trustees approved the extension of the Prescott School/Missoula International School lease for 5 years MCPS has had to --
Consider busing Rattlesnake School kids to Paxson, which as it turns out did NOT have rooms available for the Rattlesnake students.
The fact that Paxson was also close to capacity was revealed at a meeting at Paxson with the Rattlesnake parents. The principal of Lewis and Clark stated at the meeting that one room in Paxson would need to be used for a L&C kindergarten class and the other rooms were actually being used for MCPS programs such as deaf education.
Additionally, doesn't Paxson need a little wiggle room in regard to classroom space? Paxson will soon be dealing with capacity issues also as Trustees Harrison, Hemphill, Bixler, Toth, and Rehbein voted to sell Roosevelt School (Roosevelt area students now attend Paxson) in 2005.
And most importantly, MCPS has BUILT AN EXPENSIVE MODULAR AT RATTLESNAKE SCHOOL THIS SUMMER (2012)!!
The district's outright and blatant favoritism of a private school over a public school is inexcusable and is grounds for the resignation of ALL MCPS Trustees as called for by Prescott School Missoula in a earlier post.
All Missoula taxpayers are paying for an approximately $250,000 unnecessary modular because of the decision made at the meeting which is discussed in the article linked to below.
SO MUCH MORE TO SAY-- SO LITTLE TIME ----
Missoula International School hopes to renew lease on Prescott School building (link to article is work in progress)
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Prescott School Missoula calls for the resignation of all MCPS Trustees for assisting private school(s) when public school children are MCPS beneficiaries
Prescott School Missoula, on this day of September 20, 2012, is taking the bold step in calling for the resignation of ALL Missoula County Public School Trustees.
These eleven MCPS Trustees are: Board Chairwoman Toni Rehbein (remember she is a past officer of Missoula International School), Scott Bixler, Joe Toth, Adam Duerk (his twins attended MIS preschool), Shelley Wills, Joseph Knapp, Michael Smith, Jim Sadler, Drake Lemm, Marcia Holland, and Debbie DuPree. The first seven are elementary Trustees and the last four are high school Trustees.
Prescott School Missoula contends that all eleven of MCPS Trustees are untrustworthy and disloyal, therefore, are dangerous to our public school system; theses Trustees could very well be some of the most disloyal School Board Trustees in Missoula's history.
Prescott School Missoula contends that all eleven MCPS Trustees have reneged on their obligations in caring for the education of the children of the Missoula County Public Schools District #1as they have literally worked with a private school to provide for the private school's needs when leasing one of the district's valuable public schools.
Prescott School Missoula contends that all eleven MCPS Trustees have NOT protected school infrastructure for the public school children and the taxpayers of Missoula in decisions regarding leasing a public school to a private school.
The public school mentioned above is Prescott School and the private school is Missoula International School.
Some MCPS high school Trustees voiced their support of the Prescott School/Missoula International School lease; none have voiced any reservations to this arrangement; none have voiced support for Prescott School.
Our public schools were built and maintained for public school children, not for leasing to private school children.
MCPS Trustees do not seem to understand that the private school(s) they help are in competition with the public schools.
Another way of putting what is happening regarding the MCPS School Board and the leasing of a public school to a private school is:
Prescott School, the public school, has NO allies on the MCPS School Board. Missoula International School, the private school leasing Prescott School, however, has 11 allies on the MCPS School Board. Can it get more backwards, thus, more disloyal?!
Perhaps Board Chairwoman Toni Rehbein, former MIS president, and Adam Duerk, former MIS parent, can pull out their MIS tee shirts and have nine more made. Then all eleven Trustees can wear their MIS shirts to show off their true loyalties.
The latest decision to build a modular at Rattlesnake School was the latest blow to the public school children and Missoula taxpayers.
Additionally, shortly before the modular proposal, MCPS was set to send more of our Rattlesnake area children to Paxson School.
As of this date, the cost of the modular is unknown. A document request has been submitted to the district requesting all costs of the work on the modular. A bid came in at approximately $200,000 (this figure will need verification).
Prescott School Missoula contends that all eleven Trustees have failed in their duty as a Trustees of the school district for many reasons connected to the building of the modular at Rattlesnake School.
The July 2011 lease extension of Prescott School to Missoula International School, was a breach of trust to the citizens of Missoula, as much of the following information was known before the extension.
Trustees:
-failed to re-open Prescott School, or even consider re-opening an option, a school just down the road from Rattlesnake School, when it was clear that Rattlesnake School was at capacity, and instead extended the lease to Missoula International School FOR ANOTHER 5 YEARS just last July in 2011!
-failed to take into account Rattlesnake School's steady rise in enrollment since 2004, after Rattlesnake Middle School was closed and converted into an elementary school. Principal Seidensticker said that the school has 100 more students than when he first became the principal in 2006.
-failed to take into account the lack of space and classrooms in order to add grades at Rattlesnake School due to the expanding enrollment.
-failed to take into account that several Rattlesnake School classrooms needed para-educators due to larger class sizes because of the increased enrollment.
-failed to even look at their own demographic report which showed a large spike in elementary school enrollment. This demographic report was commissioned by the district and cost approximately $9,000 (psm will try to pinpoint the exact cost of the study).
-failed to take into account the many new subdivisions in the Rattlesnake School area such as Lily Court and Applegrove.
-failed to take into account a huge 115-unit apartment complex in the works and now completed on East Broadway. Prescott School Missoula did not hear one of the eleven Trustees mention this new complex once in any discussions when extending the lease of Prescott School to Missoula International School in 2011.
-failed to take into account a large new subdivision in East Missoula named Hidden Trails, which was in the works in 2004, before the school closures.
-failed to take into account the growing number of young families moving into the Rattlesnake and East Missoula neighborhoods, just as an economist, Dr. Larry Swanson had predicted and shared with the school board many years ago. Prescott School Missoula created a document titled, "The Transitioning of Missoula's Central Neighborhoods" covering this topic using quotes from Swanson's work.
-failed to even acknowledge the letter from a math professor stating that the school district is losing $500,000 annually as a result of leasing Prescott School to Missoula International School. This professor has many times in past meetings and letters to the editor since 2004 addressed this astronomical loss to the district by this lease with no reasonable response from Trustees.
-have allowed Missoula International School to remodel in ways that are inconsistent with a public school building. Remodeling to fit the needs of a private school is improper.
- To undo the remodeling will cost the district thousands of dollars when Prescott School is used again for public school children. Allowing Missoula International School to remodel furthers the evidence of trustee disloyalty which has caused great harm to Prescott School.
-have allowed the school district to engage in maintenance and repair of the Prescott School building when is explicitly states in the lease that maintenance and repair are the duties of Missoula International School. The painting of the Prescott gym is an example. MCPS painters, carpenters, and electricians were engaged in this project for several days at taxpayer expense. MIS provided the paint - however, this arrangement was not in the lease.
-have acted in a rogue manner throwing any caution to the wind and ignoring a petition signed by 1,500 citizens requesting that Prescott not be sold and that any lease be on a short term rather than a long term basis.
-approved Missoula International School's lease extension for 5 years in 2011 so that MCPS could not use the school if it became needed. Trustees have leased Prescott School to Missoula International School for long terms. Prescott School was needed BEFORE the extension was approved and definitely after, the proposal of sending Rattlesnake students to Paxson and the building of the modular serving as proof of this. The first lease in 2004 was also for 5 years, so that, according to one Trustee, MIS could gain stability (caring more about MIS than MCPS).
-have let the Missoula International School get away with another aspect of the lease, which is the maintenance to the grounds around the school. There has been for most of the lease duration a breach of contract due to lack of maintenance to the grounds of Prescott School. Missoula International School has failed to water the grounds adequately and failed to take care of the weed control. As a result, approximately one and one half acres of the 2.3 acre playground is brown and dried up. Knapweed, dandelions, and other weeds have taken over the playground, especially on the hill behind the school building. Large patches of ground have no vegetation, especially in the front of the school. This lack of care goes on and on. Of particular sadness, is the dying of the spryia bush planted near a memorial to a long time Prescott School teacher. Each year since 2004 the bush has become smaller and smaller so that it is now basically dead. This is all due to Trustees that fail to take care of our public school facilities in a responsible and loyal manner.
- Trustees have leased Prescott School to Missoula International School without providing an opt out clause for Missoula County Public Schools. In the original lease, however, there was an opt out clause for one school, Missoula International School, NOT for Missoula County Public Schools giving further proof of disloyalty to the district.
etc., etc. etc. etc...
Many of the current MCPS Trustees were not serving on the Board when Roosevelt School was sold to the Catholic School organization in 2005. Some were, however, which makes the resignation of those Trustees all the more important.
The names of the Trustees who voted to sell Roosevelt and whom are still currently serving on the Board are Toni Rehbein, Scott Bixler, and Joe Toth. High School Trustees Drake Lemm and Jim Sadler, and perhaps Debbie DuPree (Marcia Holland was not on the School Board at that time) also voiced their support for the sale of Roosevelt. These Trustees are doubly dangerous.
Prescott School Missoula may add on to this list as time permits. However, isn't the above enough evidence that all 11 Trustees need to go on to other activities and make room for loyal and responsible Trustees which will place the public school children and our school buildings first in all areas of the city and in all areas of education?
Again, Prescott School Missoula is formerly calling for the resignation of all 11 Missoula County Public Schools Trustees.
These eleven MCPS Trustees are: Board Chairwoman Toni Rehbein (remember she is a past officer of Missoula International School), Scott Bixler, Joe Toth, Adam Duerk (his twins attended MIS preschool), Shelley Wills, Joseph Knapp, Michael Smith, Jim Sadler, Drake Lemm, Marcia Holland, and Debbie DuPree. The first seven are elementary Trustees and the last four are high school Trustees.
Prescott School Missoula contends that all eleven of MCPS Trustees are untrustworthy and disloyal, therefore, are dangerous to our public school system; theses Trustees could very well be some of the most disloyal School Board Trustees in Missoula's history.
Prescott School Missoula contends that all eleven MCPS Trustees have reneged on their obligations in caring for the education of the children of the Missoula County Public Schools District #1as they have literally worked with a private school to provide for the private school's needs when leasing one of the district's valuable public schools.
Prescott School Missoula contends that all eleven MCPS Trustees have NOT protected school infrastructure for the public school children and the taxpayers of Missoula in decisions regarding leasing a public school to a private school.
The public school mentioned above is Prescott School and the private school is Missoula International School.
Some MCPS high school Trustees voiced their support of the Prescott School/Missoula International School lease; none have voiced any reservations to this arrangement; none have voiced support for Prescott School.
Our public schools were built and maintained for public school children, not for leasing to private school children.
MCPS Trustees do not seem to understand that the private school(s) they help are in competition with the public schools.
Another way of putting what is happening regarding the MCPS School Board and the leasing of a public school to a private school is:
Prescott School, the public school, has NO allies on the MCPS School Board. Missoula International School, the private school leasing Prescott School, however, has 11 allies on the MCPS School Board. Can it get more backwards, thus, more disloyal?!
Perhaps Board Chairwoman Toni Rehbein, former MIS president, and Adam Duerk, former MIS parent, can pull out their MIS tee shirts and have nine more made. Then all eleven Trustees can wear their MIS shirts to show off their true loyalties.
The latest decision to build a modular at Rattlesnake School was the latest blow to the public school children and Missoula taxpayers.
Additionally, shortly before the modular proposal, MCPS was set to send more of our Rattlesnake area children to Paxson School.
As of this date, the cost of the modular is unknown. A document request has been submitted to the district requesting all costs of the work on the modular. A bid came in at approximately $200,000 (this figure will need verification).
Prescott School Missoula contends that all eleven Trustees have failed in their duty as a Trustees of the school district for many reasons connected to the building of the modular at Rattlesnake School.
The July 2011 lease extension of Prescott School to Missoula International School, was a breach of trust to the citizens of Missoula, as much of the following information was known before the extension.
Trustees:
-failed to re-open Prescott School, or even consider re-opening an option, a school just down the road from Rattlesnake School, when it was clear that Rattlesnake School was at capacity, and instead extended the lease to Missoula International School FOR ANOTHER 5 YEARS just last July in 2011!
-failed to take into account Rattlesnake School's steady rise in enrollment since 2004, after Rattlesnake Middle School was closed and converted into an elementary school. Principal Seidensticker said that the school has 100 more students than when he first became the principal in 2006.
-failed to take into account the lack of space and classrooms in order to add grades at Rattlesnake School due to the expanding enrollment.
-failed to take into account that several Rattlesnake School classrooms needed para-educators due to larger class sizes because of the increased enrollment.
-failed to even look at their own demographic report which showed a large spike in elementary school enrollment. This demographic report was commissioned by the district and cost approximately $9,000 (psm will try to pinpoint the exact cost of the study).
-failed to take into account the many new subdivisions in the Rattlesnake School area such as Lily Court and Applegrove.
-failed to take into account a huge 115-unit apartment complex in the works and now completed on East Broadway. Prescott School Missoula did not hear one of the eleven Trustees mention this new complex once in any discussions when extending the lease of Prescott School to Missoula International School in 2011.
-failed to take into account a large new subdivision in East Missoula named Hidden Trails, which was in the works in 2004, before the school closures.
-failed to take into account the growing number of young families moving into the Rattlesnake and East Missoula neighborhoods, just as an economist, Dr. Larry Swanson had predicted and shared with the school board many years ago. Prescott School Missoula created a document titled, "The Transitioning of Missoula's Central Neighborhoods" covering this topic using quotes from Swanson's work.
-failed to even acknowledge the letter from a math professor stating that the school district is losing $500,000 annually as a result of leasing Prescott School to Missoula International School. This professor has many times in past meetings and letters to the editor since 2004 addressed this astronomical loss to the district by this lease with no reasonable response from Trustees.
-have allowed Missoula International School to remodel in ways that are inconsistent with a public school building. Remodeling to fit the needs of a private school is improper.
- To undo the remodeling will cost the district thousands of dollars when Prescott School is used again for public school children. Allowing Missoula International School to remodel furthers the evidence of trustee disloyalty which has caused great harm to Prescott School.
-have allowed the school district to engage in maintenance and repair of the Prescott School building when is explicitly states in the lease that maintenance and repair are the duties of Missoula International School. The painting of the Prescott gym is an example. MCPS painters, carpenters, and electricians were engaged in this project for several days at taxpayer expense. MIS provided the paint - however, this arrangement was not in the lease.
-have acted in a rogue manner throwing any caution to the wind and ignoring a petition signed by 1,500 citizens requesting that Prescott not be sold and that any lease be on a short term rather than a long term basis.
-approved Missoula International School's lease extension for 5 years in 2011 so that MCPS could not use the school if it became needed. Trustees have leased Prescott School to Missoula International School for long terms. Prescott School was needed BEFORE the extension was approved and definitely after, the proposal of sending Rattlesnake students to Paxson and the building of the modular serving as proof of this. The first lease in 2004 was also for 5 years, so that, according to one Trustee, MIS could gain stability (caring more about MIS than MCPS).
-have let the Missoula International School get away with another aspect of the lease, which is the maintenance to the grounds around the school. There has been for most of the lease duration a breach of contract due to lack of maintenance to the grounds of Prescott School. Missoula International School has failed to water the grounds adequately and failed to take care of the weed control. As a result, approximately one and one half acres of the 2.3 acre playground is brown and dried up. Knapweed, dandelions, and other weeds have taken over the playground, especially on the hill behind the school building. Large patches of ground have no vegetation, especially in the front of the school. This lack of care goes on and on. Of particular sadness, is the dying of the spryia bush planted near a memorial to a long time Prescott School teacher. Each year since 2004 the bush has become smaller and smaller so that it is now basically dead. This is all due to Trustees that fail to take care of our public school facilities in a responsible and loyal manner.
- Trustees have leased Prescott School to Missoula International School without providing an opt out clause for Missoula County Public Schools. In the original lease, however, there was an opt out clause for one school, Missoula International School, NOT for Missoula County Public Schools giving further proof of disloyalty to the district.
etc., etc. etc. etc...
Many of the current MCPS Trustees were not serving on the Board when Roosevelt School was sold to the Catholic School organization in 2005. Some were, however, which makes the resignation of those Trustees all the more important.
The names of the Trustees who voted to sell Roosevelt and whom are still currently serving on the Board are Toni Rehbein, Scott Bixler, and Joe Toth. High School Trustees Drake Lemm and Jim Sadler, and perhaps Debbie DuPree (Marcia Holland was not on the School Board at that time) also voiced their support for the sale of Roosevelt. These Trustees are doubly dangerous.
Prescott School Missoula may add on to this list as time permits. However, isn't the above enough evidence that all 11 Trustees need to go on to other activities and make room for loyal and responsible Trustees which will place the public school children and our school buildings first in all areas of the city and in all areas of education?
Again, Prescott School Missoula is formerly calling for the resignation of all 11 Missoula County Public Schools Trustees.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
MCPS' demographic study by Dr. Larry Swanson - Population Age Demographics Study
The following paragraphs are from the introduction to the demographic study commissioned by the district with Dr. Larry Swanson.
"In spring 2009, Missoula County Public Schools contracted with the O'Conner Center for the Rocky Mountain West at the University of Montana to prepare a Population Age Demographics Study. The results of the study will help the District better prepare for enrollment fluctuations throughout the K-12 system.
The population
of Missoula County has grown steadily in recent years, rising from less than
80,000 residents in 1990 to more than 96,000 in 2000 - an increase of more than
22 percent. This growth data, combined with birth rates, census and other
community data, can be used to "project" student enrollment as it swells and
retreats in coming years.
"In spring 2009, Missoula County Public Schools contracted with the O'Conner Center for the Rocky Mountain West at the University of Montana to prepare a Population Age Demographics Study. The results of the study will help the District better prepare for enrollment fluctuations throughout the K-12 system.
Schools budgets
in Montana are heavily based on the number of students enrolled
in any given year. The more accurately the District can projects its enrollment,
the better it can budget to meet student and staff needs, and improve student
achievement.
A report and
various PowerPoint pages can be accessed at this time. Choose from the pdf links
below:"
Click link below for the full Missoula County Public Schools demographic report.
www.mcps.k12.mt.us/portal/Default.aspx?tabid=2782
Monday, July 16, 2012
The Transitioning of Missoula’s Central Neighborhoods
In the
“At
the same time, the location of those children is changing. For a school district that has many of its
elementary school buildings concentrated in the center of town, that raises
issues of building new schools closer to developing areas like Maloney Ranch.”
According to Dr. Swanson, however, who spoke at a MCPS meeting in 2004, it is preferable for central neighborhood schools to remain open/available and flexible as these neighborhoods are in transition. The following is a partial transcript of Dr. Swanson’s presentation:
“So the question becomes where are all these folks going to live, all these 20 and 30 year olds? They’re primarily going to live in homes that these folks (referring to retirees) steadily move out of. One of the things we don’t completely understand is that housing stock transitions. And so we look all around these neighborhoods and we’ve got 3 and 4 and 5 bedroom homes. As people move (this column to the right-[the retirees]) they’re less likely to stay in that home forever, particularly if alternatives are presented to them. So you’re going to see an explosion in multi-family, townhouses, apartments, etc. To the degree that
"So all these folks (the 20 to 30 year olds) won’t move out to the edge of town. They will simply move back in as the housing stock transitions because its cheaper to buy existing square footage than it is to build square footage, if anybody’s been through that market before. It’s more expensive to build than it is to buy. So that’s one of the things we’ve got to consider in all this. So that’s going to happen.”
The above transcription illustrates that the central
neighborhoods in our city are transitioning toward young families. Despite the sale of Roosevelt School Missoula Mount Jumbo Prescott Jefferson and even Whittier Hellgate High School
Note: This document was created in approximately 2008, however, the information within it is more pertinent today than ever before. The need to open our closed schools is becoming more clear due to the change in our neighborhood demographics. (July 2012)
Note: This document was created in approximately 2008, however, the information within it is more pertinent today than ever before. The need to open our closed schools is becoming more clear due to the change in our neighborhood demographics. (July 2012)
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