The MCPS school district is up to no good again. Having been involved with school closures, a school sale, and school leases msw knows personally that trouble could be on the way if more of the past actions just mentioned are proposed. Knowing what type of actions the current Trustees have advocated and for which they have voted, it is time for all citizens to keep track of what is going on in the administration of MCPS!
The current Trustees do not care how many tears they cause to flow, how many lives they turn upside down, how many thousands and most likely millions of dollars they have caused taxpayers to pay and will cause taxpayers to pay into the future. It may be difficult to understand the willingness of these Trustees to cause harm - however, msw has unfortunately experienced first hand the pain caused by their harmful decisions.
Let msw REPEAT -
TONI REHBEIN, SCOTT BIXLER, JOE TOTH, AND ALL OTHER TRUSTEES ARE INCAPABLE OF MAKING FAIR AND RESPONSIBLE FACILITY DECISIONS!!!
Read below some of the facility decisions made by many of these Trustees:
*Voted to close 3 northeast schools in 2004 without adequate information. This decision was repeated as Trustees violated Montana's open meetings laws before and during the first vote to close these schools on March 25, 2004.
*Voted to lease a public school, Prescott School to the private school, Missoula International School, a school for which Toni Rehbein was once an officer shortly before being elected to the school board
*Voted to sell Roosevelt School to another private school, St. Josephs School in a sweetheart sale
*Voted to lease Mount Jumbo School to Walla Walla College (not sure of correct name) on a long term basis- 5 years! Due to the closing of Mount Jumbo School many East Missoula children are attending Bonner School - costing the MCPS school district hundreds of thousands of dollars (the amount of lost revenue depends on the numbers of children that choose Bonner School over Rattlesnake School or Washington Middle School)
*Voted for 3 expensive additions to 3 schools; did not discuss re-opening any schools as an option; the addition to Hawthorne has a 1.9 million dollar price tag
*Due to long term leases of some schools MCPS could not use the leased facility when needed - which is what happened when all-day kindergarten was in the planning stages and one reason for the many additions
*Leases for MCPS properties were for less money than expected as they were for far less than many private property leases - thus many leases have been called "sweetheart leases" Leases at Whittier, Prescott, Mount Jumbo Schools, and the land on Duncan Drive could be looked into to determine if the district is receiving the fair market value.
*Recently (May 2012) voted to build 2 modulars, one at Rattlesnake School and one at Lowell with no discussion of opening close by neighborhood schools such as Prescott, Mount Jumbo, and Whittier Schools, respectfully
*Voted to fill in the last stage (Russell School) to make more room in a school instead of discussing re-opening other schools -doesn't this indicate that this school is now at capacity or close to it? msw believes many Emma Dickinson children are bused to Russell - isn't this another indication that Emma Dickinson School needs to be re-opened (Dickinson School is located in one of the most dense residential neighborhoods in Missoula)
The decisions above were made with the erroneous assumption that MCPS enrollment would never increase even though professionals within our community have said otherwise both in school meetings and in a demographic report commissioned by the district (this demographic report was commissioned by the district in 2009 - Dr. Larry Swanson was hired to work on the report)
Due to the shortsighted decisions mentioned above many of our schools are overcrowded and perhaps most if not all of our elementary schools are now at capacity! (Rattlesnake, Lowell, Lewis and Clark, Russell...perhaps more are at capacity - with two of these schools adding modulars (Rattlesnake and Lowell) this year.)
The facility decisions above have wreaked havoc within our community in terms of undermining our neighborhood school infrastructure in addition to unwisely spending taxpayers money.
MORE TROUBLE COULD BE ON THE WAY!! Please be pro-active as much as possible. Stand up for all of Missoula's schools. Stand up for every neighborhood school. Missoula's children and future generations of children need you!
last edited July 31, 2012, August 12, 2012 August 17, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
#2 Modular Mayhem in the Rattlesnake - continues in June
There has been quite a bit of progress on the modular in June. The following is a list of the work being done on the modular -
- pictures coming soon!!
JUNE 2012 MODULAR WORK AT RATTLESNAKE SCHOOL
Monday
June 25, 2012
THE OUTSIDE OF THE MODULAR SEEMS TO BE ALMOST FINISHED
OBSERVATIONS TAKING PLACE BEFORE 8:00 a.m. A SEMI TRUCK WITH
BUILDING MATERIALS IS PARKED ON THE NORTH END OF THE PLAYGROUND. THE DRIVER HAD TO WAIT ABOUT A HALF HOUR FOR AN EMPLOYEE FROM SIRIUS TO OPEN THE GATE. THE TRUCKING FIRM IS (WILL LOOK AT PICTURE TO FIND NAME) FROM MISSOULA. T HE BUILDING MATERIALS ARE: LUMBER, WOOD AND A FAKE WOOD, NAILS AND OTHER HARDWARE, AND MANY BAGS OF CONCRETE. THESE WERE MATERIALS WITH WHICH THE WORKERS WOULD BE BUILDING THE RAMP AND THE STAIRS ATTACHED TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE MODULAR BUILDING. THE DRIVER OF THE SEMI TRUCK SAID THAT THE BUILDING MATERIALS WERE FROM BOYCE LUMBER.
THE WORKERS HAD ATTACHED THE CANOPY ONTO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE MODULAR ABOVE WHERE THE FUTURE RAMP AND STAIRS WILL BE BUILT. THERE WAS A LOT OF FRONT END LOADERS AROUND THE MODULAR.
No pictures were taken today)
Thursday
June 28, 2012
AS MENTIONED, THE CANOPY WAS PUT UP YESTERDAY. THE WORKERS HAD TAKEN SOME FENCING DOWN. WITH CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT THEY LEVELED THE GROUND AROUND THE MODULAR AND LAYED SOME ASPHALT. THERE WAS A SWING SET IN THIS AREA BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION BEGAN, WITH PIECES OF IT LYING AROUND THE AREA. THE WORKERS HAVEN’T BEGUN WORK ON THE RAMP YET. INSIDE THE MODULAR IT APPEARS THAT INSULATION WORK IS EITHER COMPLETED OR ALMOST COMPLETED.
And
even less than a mile away is Lincoln School, another beautiful and historic
school, which would have been perfect also to house the school children as it
had for many years, since 1912, but was sold.
- pictures coming soon!!
JUNE 2012 MODULAR WORK AT RATTLESNAKE SCHOOL
THE OUTSIDE OF THE MODULAR SEEMS TO BE ALMOST FINISHED
THE WINDOWS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AS MENTIONED AND PAINTING
HAS BEEN DONE. LOCATED ON THE
PLAYGROUND IS A FLATBED. I ASKED AN EMPLOYEE THAT HAD JUST SHOWED UP FOR WORK
WHAT THE OBJECT WAS ON THE FLATBED AND HE SAID IT WAS THE CANOPY, I IMAGINE TO
GO OVER THE DOORWAY.THEY HAVE TAKEN OFF THE CARDBOARD AROUND THE SONOTUBES (THAT
SERVED AS MOLDS FOR THE CONCRETE FOOTINGS.
Tuesday
June 26, 2012OBSERVATIONS TAKING PLACE BEFORE 8:00 a.m. A SEMI TRUCK WITH
BUILDING MATERIALS IS PARKED ON THE NORTH END OF THE PLAYGROUND. THE DRIVER HAD TO WAIT ABOUT A HALF HOUR FOR AN EMPLOYEE FROM SIRIUS TO OPEN THE GATE. THE TRUCKING FIRM IS (WILL LOOK AT PICTURE TO FIND NAME) FROM MISSOULA. T HE BUILDING MATERIALS ARE: LUMBER, WOOD AND A FAKE WOOD, NAILS AND OTHER HARDWARE, AND MANY BAGS OF CONCRETE. THESE WERE MATERIALS WITH WHICH THE WORKERS WOULD BE BUILDING THE RAMP AND THE STAIRS ATTACHED TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE MODULAR BUILDING. THE DRIVER OF THE SEMI TRUCK SAID THAT THE BUILDING MATERIALS WERE FROM BOYCE LUMBER.
Wednesday
June 27, 2012THE WORKERS HAD ATTACHED THE CANOPY ONTO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE MODULAR ABOVE WHERE THE FUTURE RAMP AND STAIRS WILL BE BUILT. THERE WAS A LOT OF FRONT END LOADERS AROUND THE MODULAR.
No pictures were taken today)
Thursday
June 28, 2012
AS MENTIONED, THE CANOPY WAS PUT UP YESTERDAY. THE WORKERS HAD TAKEN SOME FENCING DOWN. WITH CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT THEY LEVELED THE GROUND AROUND THE MODULAR AND LAYED SOME ASPHALT. THERE WAS A SWING SET IN THIS AREA BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION BEGAN, WITH PIECES OF IT LYING AROUND THE AREA. THE WORKERS HAVEN’T BEGUN WORK ON THE RAMP YET. INSIDE THE MODULAR IT APPEARS THAT INSULATION WORK IS EITHER COMPLETED OR ALMOST COMPLETED.
THE AIR CONDITIONING/HEAT UNIT ARE IN (PARTIALLY) ON THE WEST AND EAST
SIDE OF THE MODULAR (3 UNITS). THE BRAND
IS AMANA. PERHAPS MORE ELECTRICAL WORK HAS
BEEN DONE. THE AREA SMELLS LIKE
WAFER BOARD (OSB BOARD). THE CEILING HAS
BLOWN IN INSULATION BETWEEN THE JOISTS A PLASTIC COVERING OVER THE INSULATION.
And
a beautiful, perfect, and popular school is only about a mile away.
This
school is Prescott School and is now occupied by Missoula international school
a private school which received a 5 year lease extension just 7-8 months before
the decision to build a modular at rattlesnake school. Clearly the school district did not look out
for the good of the public school students when extending the lease.
The
shortsighted and inept planning for our public school buildings is revealed in
this modular project, a lesson in caution when contemplating closing and/or selling our valuable school assets.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
#1 Modular Mayhem within Missoula County Public Schools
In February of 2012, a Missoulian article reported that Missoula County Public Schools was considering sending more of the Rattlesnake and East Missoula children to another school, this time to Paxson School. Remember that in 2004 all of the northside middle school students were abruptly sent to other middle schools after only 48 days of discussions. Along with the closing of Rattlesnake Middle School and Prescott School, Mount Jumbo in East Missoula was also closed.
Strangely, shortly after the proposal, MCPS decided to go the modular route, both at Rattlesnake School and Lowell School (msw doubts Lowell area citizens had much input into this decision) Rattlesnake area citizens had little input or information about the modulars either.
Here is a timeline reporting on the building of the modular at Rattlesnake School. As you read about the building of the modular remember that just down the road is Prescott School, a wonderful public school occupied by a private school. It is quite clear the MCPS Trustees will do almost anything for the private school, Missoula International School, including going to the huge expense of building a modular just so that MIS students can continue to use Prescott. MCPS Trustees will even vote to extend the Prescott School/MIS lease another 5 years, despite warnings that it would cost the district a half million dollars/year to do so. Again,anything to help MIS.
MCPS is spending thousands on a modular as a private school MIS is occupying Prescott School - a school in the lower Rattlesnake serving public school children for over a century.
Prescott School needs to be reopened for public school chldren - not used for private schools.
FENCING WORK WAS WORKED ON BY-------- (DID NOT SEE THIS BEING DONE – msw BELIEVES THIS WAS DONE ON FRIDAY MAY 18TH, 2012.
Note: The 2004 fencing work was done by Grizzly Fence, so perhaps this they are the same company doing the fencing work for this modular project. Later: Grizzly Fence was not the name of the fencing company on signs posted on the fencing - msw will report on the correct fencing company at a later date. Update: the fencing company is Fencemasters.
Monday
May 21, 2012
DID NOT OBSERVE WORK AT THE WORKSITE TODAY.
Tuesday
MAY 22, 2012
CONCRETE WORK WAS BEING WORKED ON BY DENEVE CONCRETE – OUT OF FLORENCE,
CONCRETE WORK WAS BEING DONE BY DENEVE CONCRETE,
A LOT OF WORK WAS DONE AT THE TIME I OBSERVED THE WORKSITE AT AROUND 4:00 p.m. A LOT OF EXCAVATION WORK HAD BEEN DONE. A LOT OF WORK HAD BEEN DONE BY SERIUS CONSTRUCTION
Wonderful Prescott School (see picture above) is located just down the road from Rattlesnake School - in other words - there is no need to build this modular. Modular mayhem within Missoula County Public Schools.
Strangely, shortly after the proposal, MCPS decided to go the modular route, both at Rattlesnake School and Lowell School (msw doubts Lowell area citizens had much input into this decision) Rattlesnake area citizens had little input or information about the modulars either.
Here is a timeline reporting on the building of the modular at Rattlesnake School. As you read about the building of the modular remember that just down the road is Prescott School, a wonderful public school occupied by a private school. It is quite clear the MCPS Trustees will do almost anything for the private school, Missoula International School, including going to the huge expense of building a modular just so that MIS students can continue to use Prescott. MCPS Trustees will even vote to extend the Prescott School/MIS lease another 5 years, despite warnings that it would cost the district a half million dollars/year to do so. Again,anything to help MIS.
MCPS is spending thousands on a modular as a private school MIS is occupying Prescott School - a school in the lower Rattlesnake serving public school children for over a century.
Prescott School needs to be reopened for public school chldren - not used for private schools.
RATTLESNAKE SCHOOL MODULAR UPDATES FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 21ST
THROUGH May 25, 2012
NOTE: PRIOR TO
TUESDAY THERE WAS A FENCE PLACED AROUND THE SITE OF THE MODULAR FOR SAFETY
REASONS AS IT IS NEAR THE PLAYGROUND FENCING WORK WAS WORKED ON BY-------- (DID NOT SEE THIS BEING DONE – msw BELIEVES THIS WAS DONE ON FRIDAY MAY 18TH, 2012.
Note: The 2004 fencing work was done by Grizzly Fence, so perhaps this they are the same company doing the fencing work for this modular project. Later: Grizzly Fence was not the name of the fencing company on signs posted on the fencing - msw will report on the correct fencing company at a later date. Update: the fencing company is Fencemasters.
Monday
May 21, 2012
DID NOT OBSERVE WORK AT THE WORKSITE TODAY.
Tuesday
MAY 22, 2012
CONCRETE WORK WAS BEING WORKED ON BY DENEVE CONCRETE – OUT OF FLORENCE,
Wednesday
MAY 23, 2012
CONCRETE WORK WAS BEING DONE BY DENEVE CONCRETE,
Thursday
MAY 24, 2012
A LOT OF WORK WAS DONE AT THE TIME I OBSERVED THE WORKSITE AT AROUND 4:00 p.m. A LOT OF EXCAVATION WORK HAD BEEN DONE. A LOT OF WORK HAD BEEN DONE BY SERIUS CONSTRUCTION
Friday
MAY 25, 2012
MAY 25, 2012
AT THE TIME OF OBSERVATION IN LATE AFTERNOON A LOT OF WORK HAD BEEN
DONE. THERE WERE TWO VEHICLES AT THE SITE, ONE FROM SERIUS
CONSTRUCTION AND ANOTHER WHITE TRUCK WHICH HAD A CONTRACTOR STICKER
ON THE BACK WINDOW. THE REST OF THE SONOTUBES HAD BEEN INSTALLED AND CONCRETE
POURED INTO THE TUBES. (THERE WERE THREE
MEN WORKING AT THE TIME.) THE MEN WERE
ASSISTING A BOBCAT PLACING TIMBERS INTO BRACKETS THAT HAD BEEN PLACED ON THE
ROUND CEMENT BLOCKS CREATED BY THE SONOTUBES.
(msw ACTUALLY POSTED SOME PICTURES - hooray! - Blogger is great!)
(msw ACTUALLY POSTED SOME PICTURES - hooray! - Blogger is great!)
Wonderful Prescott School (see picture above) is located just down the road from Rattlesnake School - in other words - there is no need to build this modular. Modular mayhem within Missoula County Public Schools.
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