[Mpls] Brandt wrong about 824 empty classrooms

[Dan McGuire]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/1592/5016205.html

Steve Brandt has a great heart (see recent SWJournal profile piece) but 
according to the source he quoted in Tuesday's article about potential 
school closings he got the facts wrong.  Kevin Halbach told me yesterday 
that what he really said was that "there will be 800 empty classrooms by 
2008 unless the district does something now."  That is a very different 
statement than  "Halbach said consultants counted 824 empty classrooms 
across the district, but said some should be left open to allow the 
district flexibility."  The ramifications of the difference are huge. 
 There's lots of things the district could do between now and 2008 to 
prevent the loss of students to fill 824 classrooms and closing a bunch 
of schools is not one of them.  Closing schools now on the basis of 
confusing/inaccurate data will just make matters worse more quickly.
Dan McGuire
Ericsson.