School consolidation--

Robin · Guru

School consolidation--

Juanita · Guru

oh lawwwwddddd!!

What they're talking about doing here is closing down some schools, some low performing schools, and combining others in the parish

Here's a breakdown:

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20110124/NEWS01/110124032/Webster-superintendent-Make-changes-or-go-bankrupt

I know since none of you know the areas down here, it doesn't mean anything looking at the information, but it really does make a lot of sense. Even if it means one of the schools that's closing is Presley's school.

-- Edited by Juanita on Tuesday 25th of January 2011 01:19:07 PM

Robin · Guru

Ugh, Jennifer - The saddest part of that article to me was the loss of teachers.

Robin · Guru

I guess ours would more accurately be called "school system consolidation."

Juanita · Guru

Robin wrote:

Ugh, Jennifer - The saddest part of that article to me was the loss of teachers.

i know

i'm hoping that some of the ones that have been there since I was in school, just go ahead and retire, so that the younger ones don't have to lose their jobs

it won't save all of them, but you'd be surprised at how many OLD ones are still there, lol

Juni · Guru

As far as I know this is not happening in our area. I haven't heard much about this until I read about it from you guys.

happylib · Guru

I think there are several sides to this, and depending on which side you stand on, is most likely going to determine your position.

I think that the economy is such, that everyone, especially schools, are trying to find money just to stay open. It is cheaper to consolidate and run a bigger school with more bodies in it than to run smaller schools with less students. Bigger schools are cheaper to heat and operate, staff, and offer services.

Now if you are more concerned about the quality of education, than the smaller scale is the way to go. In general, students tend to do better in these situations, even in the older grades like high school. It also allows for more parental involvement. Parents, teachers, students, other staff members and the surrounding community feel more invested in the school and feel that they can be. Unfortunately, this is not cost effective.

For many tax payers, they feel they all ready pay so much in taxes that they don't see why they should pay anymore to keep small schools. Many also really don't have the means to pay anymore and sometimes even when they do, it does not necessarily go to support the programs that serve their child(ren).

Frankly, I think this is also one way that is adding to the haves and have nots. Getting a quality education is becoming more and more difficult.

supergrover · Guru

We're facing it here, and continue to.

Two years ago, the legislature and governor ordered consolidation for all districts under a certain number of students. It began by combining administration (particularly superintendents, etc).

Well, that still isn't enough.

The reason, at least here, it is coming to such an urgency is that federal recovery dollars given when the economy tanked were used to bolster school budgets that were in crisis. Those federal dollars expire on June 30.

For example, the district Travis used to teach at. They are flat broke. They already share administration with another town. They already replaced foreign language with computers. They are down to just two sports (maybe) a season. In the paper today, it was announced that same district needs to cut 1.27 million for next year. There is no where left to cut. The only thing the town has been CLINGING to is that the high schools are still separate (roughly 20-30 minutes a part). Huge rivalry schools, going back generations. No one wants to consolidate them. Even the superintendent doesn't want to. I'd bet anything, they will merge this summer. They just have no choice.

I just heard super secret insider info that the two high schools here in my town and the town over are now in talks to merge. That is going to go over AWESOME in the town over (shitty school system) and horribly here (upper class university school district). It affects everything- for example houses cost twice as much in this town because people pay to be in this school district. People are scared their values are going to drop.

I don't have an answer, but it is getting MESSY here.

Robin · Guru

Hmm, Jennifer's school issues and the issues here are pretty different. I don't think any of our schools would close if the systems combine because they're already in different areas--the Memphis City schools are within the city limits (albeit within the county), and the other schools are outside of the city. Whenever the county deems that there are enough children in an area to warrant building a new school, they build one. Last time that happened in an unincorporated area, the city incorporated that area within months of the completion of the school. The city just didn't want to pay for the construction. Irked me. But I don't live in the Memphis city limits.

There was a special on the news last night regarding the issue here. They showed the grades for education or whatever they're called. The City of Memphis got all F's except for one D in Math. Shelby County (where my kids go) got all A's. They also showed the average cost per student in each system, and the Memphis students had a considerably higher cost per student.

I can't see the future but I'd hate for the quality of our schools to go down if merged, but I bet that many would like to hope that the quality of the Memphis City schools would go up if merged.

On that news special, they interviewed people from another city (couldn't find it on their website and can't remember what city) in TN that consolidated their school systems 14 years ago. Basically, they said that low-performing schools were still low-performing and high-performing were still high-performing. And that taxes have gone up considerably--understandably since it has been 14 years.

Robin · Guru

supergrover wrote:

We're facing it here, and continue to.

Two years ago, the legislature and governor ordered consolidation for all districts under a certain number of students. It began by combining administration (particularly superintendents, etc).

Well, that still isn't enough.

The reason, at least here, it is coming to such an urgency is that federal recovery dollars given when the economy tanked were used to bolster school budgets that were in crisis. Those federal dollars expire on June 30.

For example, the district Travis used to teach at. They are flat broke. They already share administration with another town. They already replaced foreign language with computers. They are down to just two sports (maybe) a season. In the paper today, it was announced that same district needs to cut 1.27 million for next year. There is no where left to cut. The only thing the town has been CLINGING to is that the high schools are still separate (roughly 20-30 minutes a part). Huge rivalry schools, going back generations. No one wants to consolidate them. Even the superintendent doesn't want to. I'd bet anything, they will merge this summer. They just have no choice.

I just heard super secret insider info that the two high schools here in my town and the town over are now in talks to merge. That is going to go over AWESOME in the town over (shitty school system) and horribly here (upper class university school district). It affects everything- for example houses cost twice as much in this town because people pay to be in this school district. People are scared their values are going to drop.

I don't have an answer, but it is getting MESSY here.

Ack! I didn't even think of that. Houses in county school districts are definitely higher-valued now.