I don’t understand why the decision to close Pleasant View, and the other February budget cuts for that matter, were not re-examined after the final state funding was more than originally anticipated earlier this year.
According to District budget documents, the saving from closing Pleasant View was $663,000. Yet, the Board decided, without reviewing prior budget cut decisions, to allocate the additional state funding to:
- $3.7M in Additional SBB Allocation for One-time use
- $600,000 for Alternative Pathway Factor
- $412,000 for IT Funding for School & Community Engagement
- $669,000 for Support for High School Athletics & Activities
I’m not saying that any of these allocations were not needed or a good use of the funding (other than the $600k in Alternative Pathways funding).
But, shouldn’t there have been a discussion on revisting the cuts of February 9th and a complete weighing of options?
There certainly should have been!
For example, is $412k for IT Funding for School & Community Engagement more important than saving Pleasant View?
To the Cabinet and Board it is!
Once again, the Board blindly went with the Cabinet’s recommendations and went forward with their plans to close a “community school”, similar to the Jefferson “community school” that Ron Mitchell likes to claim he and the Board supported.
What’s so different about Pleasant View and that community?
I don’t know, but it doesn’t look good to me.