The money to be saved from Jennings proposed school closings (2 million?) is likely to be offset by accelerating the decline in enrollment.
Due to cuts in bus service (none to students living less than 3 miles from school) many students are too close to school to get a bus ride, and too far to walk, as far as their parents are concerned. Closing schools will put more students into that position. That has to have a negative impact on enrollment and the district's finances. Regarding Pratt school: Enrollment at Pratt was 67 on Oct 2002, 47% students of color. The Prospect Park area has a huge public housing project adjoining one of the city's wealthier residential districts. I imagine that about half of the students come from that housing project. And it sounds like Pratt Elementary School is doing a good job of educating all of those students. They must be doing something right if their third grade students are outperforming 3rd grade students in the Edina Public Schools. I think that most parents want their children to get an education that will maximize their intellectual development, with instruction based on a college bound curriculum and individualized educational planning. That's what some students in the Minneapolis Public Schools get. Why not made that kind of education accessible to everybody? -Doug Mann, King Field Mann for School Board web site http://educationright.tripod.com REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
