School closings in KCMO

[proud2BlibKansan]

I am on the task force and we had our final meeting tonight. The school board makes the final decision, perhaps as early as Dec 19. But based on the data we looked at all fall and the recommendations made by the task force tonight, I am predicting the following schools will close after this year:

Bryant
Chick
Cook
Douglas
Ladd
Longan
Swinney
Woodland

And these schools are a maybe:

Border Star
Graceland
McCoy
Moore
Pershing
Phillips


The recommendation and the enrollment numbers indicate that the district needs to close 10 to 15 schools.

[evlbstrd]

1. Am I right?

Your school isn't on the list? A couple that my kids went to are.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Not on the for sure list

but we are on the maybe list.

[evlbstrd]

3. What's the next step?

It's up to the School Board or the Stuperintendent?

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. School Board

They will get the list Dec 19. It doesn't look good at all for Swinney. That is too bad. A retired teacher from there was in my small group. She was really upset.

It looks like they will move a couple programs to newer buildings. Chick has tremendous community support but is in a crappy building. And the support for my school was tremendous. Every small group report at last night's meeting recommended not closing us. So we might stay open or they might move us to a better building. The problem though is that displaces another school community.

Nothing upsets communities more than closing schools. They don't give a rat's ass about test scores but they sure want their neighborhood school left open.

LOL There was a district employee there last night who said her school was looking in to not taking the MAP anymore. She said the scores just don't reflect how good her school is. So I guess she thinks they can exempt themselves from a federal law. *sigh* Not all educators are bright bulbs.

[evlbstrd]

5. Swinney was one of my kids' schools.

I can see it from my office window.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. I know

I have friends who work there. My group recommended not closing it. That would leave no school in your neighborhood, yet there are two schools in Brookside (where no one sends their kids to public school).

Here is a link to The Star's article. There are some inaccuracies but it gives the general idea.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/16191190.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

[evlbstrd]

7. Border Star is in Brookside.

I thought it was a popular option because it was Montessori.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Yes that's what I said

It's in Brookside. The thing I don't get is that no one in Brookside sends their kids to public school. So why does that neighborhood need 2 elementary schools? And they are so close together.

But they are closing Swinney - leaving your neighborhood with NO elementary schools. :crazy:

[evlbstrd]

9. Border Star is on the list.

[pstokely]

12. They probably have 2 there to lure rich white people back into the district

It's not working

[pstokely]

11. Most standardized tests discriminate against the poor and minorities

That's why suburban schools usually have the higher test scores.

[pstokely]

10. What criteria did they use?

?

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. Mainly age of the building

and also how full the schools are.