>"Southwest schools get '04-'05 budgets, and pain. Schools get their
budgets, and cuts: Ramsey, Anthony, Anwatin and >Washburn hardest hit by
district raising Title I eligibility from 50 percent kids in poverty to 60
percent."
>http://www.swjournal.com/articles/2004/04/30/news/news01.txt
>"Asked if the budget cuts would have been as severe had the district closed
nine schools as he suggested back in February, >Jennings said that it is now
a moot point and he preferred not to comment."
It wouldn't be a moot point if you wanted to explain the decision
process and help the public understand the how's and why's of school funding
options. I don't think closing schools would have eliminated many of the
current cuts; in fact, it would likely have merely created only more
confusion because so many programs would have needed to be reworked . The
savings that were projected were mostly in the facilities budget area, not
in the areas that are currently being cut.
Also, Bob Gilbert left a few crucial questions unasked, or at least
unreported. One of the obvious questions is, why wasn't the list of 800
"empty" classrooms available to the public back in February when their
supposed existence was the main factor in the notion to close schools.
Another important question would be, why weren't we talking about Title
I eligibility adjustments back in February.
And, what alternatives were considered other than 'spreading the pain
around' according to some vague criteria. The lack of focus regarding the
cuts leaves all of us wondering, waiting for the next shoe to drop, waiting
for a workable plan to get behind so we can plan our children's education.
Dan McGuire
Ericsson
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