Grantsdale School’s 620-pound historic bell removed as it waits for a new home - November 11, 2013 Missoulian article

Click on the link below to read a November 11, 2013,  Missoulian article written by Betsy Cohen reporting on the removal of the bell in the Grantsdale School which was closed last spring by the Hamilton School District.

Grantsdale School’s 620-pound historic bell removed as it waits for a new home

See below Prescott School Missoula's thoughts on this article, on the 2004 school closures, and the closure of neighborhood schools in general.


Quote, "The bell and its 23-foot-high tower were recently transferred to the Ravalli County Historical Society in a move that has been in the works since last spring; when the Hamilton School District decided it could no longer afford to keep the 124-year-old Grantsdale School open."
 

Prescott School Missoula feels sad for the citizens of this area that had their school closed last spring The picture in the Missoulian along with the Grantsdale School closure article of two girls crying during a closure meeting broke psm's heart.


In 2004, many tears were shed as three of Missoula's northeast schools were closed, one with a long history as well, Prescott School. Prescott had served Missoula's children since 1893!!

It is my belief that the Hamilton school district did NOT have to close this school.  The Trustees could have found a way to keep it open - there must have been a myriad of options available to them - just as there was in 2004 in Missoula. People who were against the Missoula closures arrived at the closure meeting with the opinion that all three schools could remain open.  Some came to the March 24-25, 2004 meeting with alternative budgets which were ignored.

What it takes is a commitment to keeping neighborhood schools open. This needs to be coupled with a belief that it is the SMALL schools that have withstood the test of time and  are the best option for students.

If there were an independent study of the 2004 closures in Missoula I believe that they would find that it was a disastrous decision in every way.

What resulted as a consequence of the 2004 closures is crowded schools, both elementary and middle schools. A private school, Missoula International School, leasing Prescott School has siphoned off many of the public school students as a direct result of leasing Prescott. According to professionals this lease has cost the district $500,000/ per year in the past few years. Starting with an enrollment of 33 children, MIS has increased its enrollment since 2004 to approximately 186 students.  
Also egregiously, is that the district decided to build a modular at a cost of approximately $250,000 in 2012 and ALSO as of this year (2013) made the decision to bus Rattlesnake children to Pason. The reason that the district decided to build the modular in the first place s so the district would not have to bus Rattlesnake children to Paxson!!

When all the facts are laid out on the table it is absolutely clear that this school district in refusing to reopen Prescott School is continuing its DISLOYALTY TO MISSOULA'S CHILDREN AND TAXPAYERS.

When a citizen visited with Rattlesnake Principal Seidensticker in February of 2012, Seidensticker said that he was told that reopening Prescott or Mt. Jumbo was not an option in dealing with the overcrowding of Rattlesnake School (which had been ongoing ever since the closures in 2004).

What is the busing budget as a result of the closures?
 
To continue on the subject of the consequences of the 2004 closures – Many East Missoula children are now (since 2004) ATTENDING BONNER SCHOOL. In one look at the exodus of the number of children switching from Rattlesnake or Washington Middle School a document that indicated that approximately 40-50 children made the switch. Financially, this equates to a loss to MCPS coffers of $200,000 or more.

(Bonner Principal Ardiana will NOT release the numbers of children from E. Missoula attending Bonner throughout the years - since 2004 per a citizen request.) What is the school district doing about this - NOTHING. MCPS officials do not acknowledge this important issue.  

To get back to the Grantsdale School closure - we see the citizens of this area rallying around this school to preserve its history. THIS REVEALS THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP THAT CITIZENS HAVE WITH THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS. THIS RELATIONSHIP IS IMPORTANT TO THE COHESIVENESS OF A COMMUNITY.

What really made Prescott School Missoula angry is when psm read a headline in the Missoulian a while ago that reported that the Hamilton School district is thinking of expanding its preschool!! The same thing happened in Missoula after the closures - the district expanded its preschool.

THIS SUPPORTS THE PREMISE THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS CAN KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN IF TRUSTEES JUST VALUE THESE PRICELESS ASSETS TO A COMMUNITY.

Post sent to publiccomment@mcps.k12.mt.us

Edited on November 19, 2013 

 

If the School Board and The Superintendent Do NOT Understand the Basic Concept That Helping Your Competion (read more)

Prescott School Missoula 's position on the latest facilities "study" by Missoula County Public Schools.

"If the superintendent and the Board of Trustees do not understand the basic concept that leasing a public school (Prescott School) to the competition (Missoula International School) is harmful and not in the best interests of the district, then psm's opinion and I'm sure others, MCPS has no business embarking on yet another facilities study." 

"In order for this district to gain credibility, it would have to engage in a multitude of actions: the termination of the Prescott/MIS lease would be first on the list of these corrective actions for the district."

"Additionally, if the superintendent and the school board do not understand that the district needs to reopen Prescott School instead of building expensive modulars and sending Rattlesnake School children to Paxson they, again, do not have any business embarking on a facilties study."

 

Background: In 2004 MCPS closed three schools within a 48 day time span. This shortsighted decision had devastating consequences for not only the north side of our city but throughout the city.

After closing the three schools, one of the closed schools was leased for a 5 year term to a private school Missoula International School. Prescott School is located in the lower Rattlesnake.

 

 In 2009, a leased extension for 3 years was approved and in 2011, another lease extension was approved for 5 years for a total of 13 years.

 

Citizens, including a math professor, have come forward in meetings and have stated that his lease is cosing the district hundreds of thousands of dollars due to the increase in MIS enrollment throughout the years.

Shortly before the  2011 lease extension discussin for approving the lease estension the math professor sent an email to all trustees and the superintendent stating that the Prescott School lease to Missoula International School is now costing the distirct $500,000 a year.

This figure has most likely increased as MIS enrollment has increased since 2011. Strangly but predictably this information was brushed aside and ignored as it still is to this date.

Booming student population pushes need for MCPS long-range facilities plan - Missoulian article in November 2, 2013 edition written by Betsy Cohen

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

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
 

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.

Margo Jerrim, former long-time popular Prescott School teacher passed away in October of 2010

Margo Jerrim, a popular and long-time Prescott School teacher died on October 20, 2010.

After Prescott School was closed in 2004, Margo then taught at Rattlesnake School.

Margo held Prescott School in such high esteem that her family held her memorial service in the Prescott gym. The gym was beautifully decorated and filled with people who loved Margo, including her fellow Prescott School and Rattlesnake School teachers, other school staff, in addition to her devoted family.

One teacher at the memorial stated that the teachers at Prescott School were a tight knit group and would meet in frequent social gatherings. Such is the pull of Prescott School, a popular school located in the lower Rattlesnake for more than a century.

Prescott School Missoula would like to give our condolences to the family of Margo Jerrim.

An article about Margo was published in the September 30th, 2012 issue of the Missoulian and is featured in another Prescott School Missoula blog post.

Below is an obituary published in the Billings Gazette.

http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/article_8b470880-926d-5a52-b2f5-01a2f2dc06c2.html

Enrollment rises in Missoula K-8 classrooms as baby boomers' grandkids grow up

Enrollment rises in Missoula K-8 classrooms as baby boomers' grandkids grow up