[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Neighborhood Schools - Part 1

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Neighborhood Schools - Part 1
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1219465861.shtml


   As I wrote yesterday, there won't be much coming from the new District
   281 Financial Advisory Council until October or so. Judging by their
   first meeting, I don't think they will get as daring as I now will.
   There are hard times ahead for the Robbinsdale Schools, District 281,
   harder than the past few that have seen many staff positions and
   programs cut. The District is seeking more money in a referendum this
   fall that would provide some relief but otherwise not address the
   undeniable trends. The Legislature is broke already and the State
   economy is sputtering behind the national averages for the first time
   in decades. Tax increases like the $ 1.7 billion that Rep. Mindy
   Greiling proposes to finally (!) fully (!) fund our public schools
   would be a huge political gamble, even for Democrats.
   I've pointed to the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) before as
   portending the future of District 281 and see no reason to change that
   forecast. Just as North Minneapolis was largely abandoned, District
   281 is again positioning to close a school or two, almost certainly in
   the eastern half of the District, continuing the westward compression.
   That won't solve the underlying problem, either.
   The underlying problem is that the District is losing business.
   Enrollment is dropping every year, faster than the District can shed
   its fixed costs like buildings, a problem exacerbated by the State's
   byzantine accounting rules and funding formulas.
   I've been studying the District for about nine months now, and almost
   every month something or someone brings me back to the one thing that
   works here as in most any district: Neighborhood Schools. Early
   Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) may be little more than daycare
   but are tremendously popular. Talk of closing an Elementary brings a
   large response from parents and nearby taxpayers. This is what does
   work. This is where you invest your time, effort, and money to stem
   the decline.