[Mpls] Ostrows: we should have closed schools now

[David Brauer]

On Mar 1, 2004, at 7:59 PM, Steve Cross wrote:
>
> The MPS had 800 more classrooms than they needed so they are going to 
> close
> 10 schools.  Let's see 800/10=80.  So there are 80 classrooms to be
> eliminated in each of those 10 buildings?  Who is kidding who?  Even if
> there are 20 in each buildings, that's only the elimination of 200
> classrooms.  So they still have an overage of 600 classrooms but now 
> it's a
> problem solved?

Steve: Jennings said there are 800 empty classrooms district-wide. He 
said the closing/merger plan would eliminate 350 of the 800 - closing 
ten buildings with 35 classrooms each (about the mean in Southwest; the 
new Burroughs has 36; Kenny has 24, Ramsey 50), gets you there.

(I know Pratt is small, but I assume others are bigger.)

Is eliminating only 43 percent of the excess space (350 of 800 rooms) 
going to get you your biggest budget savings? No, but it's a healthy 
start.  And in fact, at a February School Board planning meeting, 
Jennings said his only regret was that the closures weren't going far 
enough. But could you imagine the fire storm if the 800 figure is right 
and Jennings proposed double the closings he did this winter?

Again, while I think it's appropriate to debate Jennings' and the 
district's approach, their numbers don't seem wildly off in this 
particularly case. If I'm missing additional details, please add to the 
record.

David Brauer
Kingfield