Budget/Financing

For the record

5 Comments

I don’t want there to be misunderstandings about my vote against consolidation. I have made it clear from the beginning that I would not vote against consolidation unless we took a serious look at ways to achieve cost savings in the Marquette-Lapham pair.
I was quite clear that I included in that assessment, the reality that one or both schools would need to host one or more alternative programs as an element of any cost savings. In phone calls, e-mails, conversations with Steve Hartley, and other conversations, I have been quite clear that it would be desirable for people to stop trashing the programs and students (talk about caught in the middle) and start thinking about what it would take to make it work.
In short, I have never supported a plan that would leave the Alternative Programs without a stable home.

5 thoughts on “For the record”

  1. I understand your concern about a stable home for the alternative programs and I applaud your support of those programs. It is not clear to me what the alternative programs require as far as facilities. I have heard that some of kids need a gym and access to bus routes. Please post other requirements if they are available.
    Thanks.

  2. SAPAR also needs an outdoor play area for the children of the students. I was told that’s a Federal requirement tied to Federal dollars for childcare.

  3. Both of those elements – gym and public transportation – are factors. Ironically, there has been concern about students driving cars. In reality some have cars, but a large proportion rely on public transportation.
    Similarly, many Isthmus parents would be interested to know that students from alternative high school programs have been using the Lapham gym one afternoon a week for some time. E.g. it is possible to share a building without much ado.

  5. Thanks, Laura. One of the reasons that the district has looked at the Isthmus school buildings as options, is that most of the students rely on public transportation to get to and from school.

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