Does Closing Schools Solve the Problem?

But what is the problem? SMSD Board members decided to close three elementary schools. Do they want to do so? No. N-O. However, they were convinced by the Superintendent's Office that it is the only solution for balancing the 2001-02 budget without reducing the quality of education. Does Superintendent Dr. Kaplan want to close schools? No. N-O. However, she was convinced that balancing the 2001-02 budget, which has an approximately $10 million deficit in operating costs, can be done only by cutting educational programs and by closing schools. School closing is supported by the evidence of an enrollment decline in the past 10 years. Six schools were recommended for closing with reference to declined enrollment. Three schools were chosen for closure at the end of this school year. The other three will be closed later.

But why did the budget deficit appear at all?

Concerned citizens, who understand the importance of education not only for parents, but for businesses and for the entire country, may think that somebody calculated how much money was required to run each school, summarized the total cost, and saw to it that the taxpayers' money is used for this purpose first. Yes, this is the right way to finance schools.

However, the existing school financial formula is different, and the operating cost per full-time equivalent student (FTES) is $4,400 per school year. The cost per FTE student at Cherokee during the current school year is $6,841. But how was it calculated? The total Cherokee operating cost of $1,730,773 was divided by 253 students. If the Board would consider that about 50% of the Cherokee staff serves classes for only 19 CBD (communication behavior disorder) students, compared to 20-30% at other schools, the cost per regular FTE student will be somewhere under $4,000. Precise numbers are available to the Board from the Superintendent's Office.

In "A Report on the Closing of Cherokee Elementary School," which Star columnist Mike Hendricks called a death warrant, I did not find a clear statement on why any school should be closed at all, and consequently, why from 43 elementary schools, Cherokee was included in the preliminary list of 11 schools. Why, from 11 schools, was Cherokee, the only Blue Ribbon school on the list, chosen for closing.

Let's set aside Cherokee for a moment. Why was closing schools chosen as a tool to solve financial problems? "We want to save the quality of education and special programs," was the answer. But class size will increase from 15-20 pupils, as it is now at Cherokee, to 24-28 after Cherokee closes. Does this preserve the existing high level of education at the SMSD?

This article is extremely overloaded with numbers. Because of this, let's analyze the next chart.

Quality of Education

....................................... Level of an Individual Tutoring

....................................... Level of a Lecture

1 10 20 30 Number of Students in Class

This chart clearly shows that school closing will dramatically pull the quality of education from the highest level to the lowest!

Do other ways to balance the 2001-02 budget exist? "Members felt they had no choice," wrote Mike Hendricks. It is not so hopeless. At least $15 million could be cut without closing schools. We are eager to share these findings with the Board. What would happen would be reported in the next issue of our newspaper... if the Board would listen.

What is the existing school finance formula, and why does it cause financial disaster for SMSD?

Nothing is written about this magic formula in the 124-page death warrant for the schools. From Superintendent Dr. Kaplan, we learned that operating money comes from the state, and it is $4,400 per student.

How was it established? Why not $7,000, as needed for the SMSD? Why not $1,000 to please politicians who loudly shout the slogan "TAX CUT! TAX CUT! TAX CUT!"?

The answer is simple: The total operating cost of all schools in the State of Kansas was divided by the total number of enrolled students in the state. Simple and ... wrong. The best school districts, with small classes, the best teachers with decades of experience, and consequently the highest salaries, many excellent additional programs, CBD units, etc., have been found underfinaced.

Moreover, the above-mentioned districts were limited from raising local funds over 25% of the total budget. In other words, parents and patrons were deprived of their constitutional right to support their local schools! Is this 8-year old formula constitutional? We do not think so, but the last word should be said by our attorneys. America has more lawyers than all other countries in the world combined. We hope that they will find the right answer.

What would happen if the schools were not closed? In the upcoming couple years SMSD will not be bankrupt. However, if nothing is changed in the state financial system, SMSD will run out of money, and there will not be enough money to pay teacher salaries and other expenses. The Teacher's Union would not tolerate it if the district couldn't pay the salaries. Schools would be closed in a rush, and 30-40 student classes would more than likely be the reality for months or even for years. We hope that the Board will not allow this disaster.

What would happen if the schools were closed? For a couple of years the financial situation would improve. The public would accept larger classes and a reduction in the level of education. If district parents and patrons are now proud that the SM School District is number eight in the United States, a few years from now we will be proud that some years ago we had the best schools. Parents who care about the education of their children would move out to the South or other places with better schools or enroll their children in private schools. Total district enrollment would shrink even more and school closings would be required again and again.

Politicians who now loudly shout the slogan "TAX CUT! TAX CUT! TAX CUT!" would shout loudly the slogan "WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!" and ... would cut taxes even more. The Board would close more schools to make them "more cost effective" until instead of 43 elementary schools, we would have only four-equal to the number of existing high schools in the district.

If we do not like the future for our schools as described above, parents and school patrons should turn their anger and energy to the state legislature to change the existing system.

Let's give SMSD Superintendent Dr. Marjorie Kaplan the opportunity to move our district from the eighth place in the country to the first, and make the state and local government provide the necessary funds. This is America, and we can save our schools if we will work hard.

Again, To Close or not to Close?

To reach Peter Shapiro, call (913) 381-6189 or send e-mail to pshapiro@sfdnet.com

Superintendent Dr. Marjorie Kaplan is explaining the SMSD financial situation to Sabina Lozhebnikova, Executive Director of RUS Publishing, Inc.

SMSD Board meeting held at SM West High School on October 11, 2000.

Death warrants for three elementary schools were announced.