David Cohen suggested that I ask candidates their positions on closing a school on the isthmus or east side.
So, candidates, if you’re elected to the board, will you vote to support closing a school? A simple yes or no will suffice; however, if you’d like to elaborate, feel free.
One thought on “School board candidates: What do you think of closing schools?”
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The response here is deafening!!! I’m not a candidate, but I was on the school board in Rapid City, SD when we closed two schools. I sat through several days of heartfelt testimony in each case.
We elected our board in geographical areas, and these schools were in my area. With years of declining enrollments in these schools and little prospect for increasing numbers, coupled with enrollment-based state finanical aid, the right decision was to close the schools. The district turned one school over to an alternative program that had been housed in rented space, and saved money. The other school was sold to a someone who wished to turn it into a non-profit center for arts education, and the district made money, which helped save programs for kids. The decision was made easier because other underutilized schools were nearby, so we were able to do this without busing any students.
A problem in Madison is that school board members are elected district-wide (a stupid idea for a number of reasons, in my view). That means school board members who may wish to bow to demographic realities immediately face near unanimous opposition to election or re-election in at least parts of the district.