More Thoughts on the Loss of 1,000 Students in 2014-15: Start with the good news and work to the worst news. HIGH SCHOOLS ARE STABLE - But 2 SOUTHERN H.S.s are still horribly under-utilized due to massive over building. As a group, our 5 High Schools gained 23 Students - a 0.2% increase. But stability doesnt equate to efficient. Coronado and Saguaro operate at 44% and 53% of capacity. To get to SUSDs relaxed goal of 70% usage of Capacity, SUSD needs 1,000 MORE students. Enrollment is NOT going up - so what, Dr. Peterson, is the plan to inject 1,000 students in to the big and beautiful nearly brand new buildings? MIDDLE SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IS O.K.: As a Group, they lost 2% of enrollment. Again, 3 of these schools have serious under-utilization issues. COPPER RIDGE, MOUNTAINSIDE and DESERT CANYON range from 52-57% use. These 3 NORTH Scottsdale schools also need 1,000 MORE STUDENTS to get to reasonable levels of utilization on the SUSD scale. Enrollment is going DOWN at these schools. They are the only Middle Schools with worse than 5% declines in enrollment. Now - Get to the MEAT of SUSDs ENROLLMENT - Of the 25,000 kids attending SUSD schools, over 18,000 attended our K-5 and K-8 schools last year. **ONE THOUSAND ELEMENTARY STUDENTS LEFT.** **Nearly 6% walked out the door in just one year.** In a year that 2 new Charters opened in the heart of SUSD, Dr. Peterson and our Board led by Bonnie Sneed decided it was a good idea to slash the K-5 School Year and to Cut Specials in Half instead of choosing the other options available. From Yes to Children a/k/a Yes To Contractors we can already hear the chanting: We Need the Override. We Must Pass the Override. This Proves We Need the Override! IT IS NOT THAT SIMPLE. **Elementary School enrollment has been falling for years. **Ten of our K-5 and K-8 Schools lost 50 to 80 students each. **NOT ONE SCHOOL increased enrollment. IN THE NORTH.Copper Ridge led the loss with 76 students gone ** ** Anasazi and Redfield lost over 10 % of their enrollment ** ** Those 3 schools now operate at 52-57% of Capacity. IN THE SOUTH Navajo, Tonalea and Pueblo lost 67 to 82 students each ** ** Those schools lost 13-18% of their enrollment in just one year. ** ** Navajo now has fewer than 400 kids and runs at 43% of capacity ** ** Yavapai and Hopi operate at 53 - 56% of capacity IN THE CENTER. Kiva and ANLC lost 118 Students ** ** Both Kiva and ANLC lost over 11% of their enrollment in one year ** ** Cherokee operates at 53% of capacity after losing another 7% Again from Yes to Contractors we hear the Cheerleading: The Override Will Fix all of this. But why? And how? We are being promised the restoration of Specials. We are being promised the reduction of classes We are being promised 2% pay increases to save Teachers All those promises would help but . . . . THOSE PROMISES ARE NOW LIES. 1,000 Students Left and Took $7,500,000 with them. Even if not one single student leaves next year - which is folly - SUSD will gain only half of the additional funding from the Override required to create the benefits it promises. And how do we believe we are going to pass an Override after we ran 1,000 students off and their 2,000 parents took their Yes Votes and left the District? Why do we think that this whole mess is going to motivate more people to pay more taxes? Why do we think Voters will decide to give more money to a District if the Board and Superintendent are not changed? And - that is clearly the answer - the only chance to convince the No-Voters that an Override is not a blatant waste of tax dollars, is to bring in the Board Members advocating change - Kirby and Shane. And to replace the Superintendent. Voter Confidence is shattered - along with the confidence of parents and teachers. If our only appeal to voters is we have cute kids and you need to do it for the kids, we are doomed. Laddie Shane and Pam Kirby - this is the time for you to step forward, lead powerfully, and try to save this mess. We are not going to get more funding in our schools by laying out the same lame plans of 2010-14. Promise Consolidation Promise Cooperative Ventures with Free market educational providers to fill the half empty buildings in the South and North. Promise to strip buses, Administrative and overhead costs And maybe we can still pull off an Override. Probably not. But whether we get the Override or not, those changes have to be made. There is no longer any plausible option. The Charters are growing - their Wait Lists are huge. Far too many parents are fed up and leaving. Either adapt and change - or die.. Those of us who cant find a desk at a decent Charter and those of us who want to remain in public schools need you, our Board candidates, to act now.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 11:41:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015