Questions posed to SDUSD - RE: School Closure

SDUSD is seeking a specific recommendation from the MB Cluster.  However, consensus in the MB Cluster has been difficult to achieve.  In part, this is because there is not a common understanding of the situation.

The following questions were posed to Phil Stover and Scott Barnett:

Phil/Scott,

Thank you for the encouragement.  As you may have understood from my presentation to you last week and my discussions with each of you personally, there are a number of issues the impede the achieving consensus and provided a recommendation.  The biggest issue I have in driving consensus is that a sizable portion of the parents, teachers, and staff do not believe the financial situation is a dire as portrayed.  In addition, most do not believe SDUSD will actually close PBMS.  Regardless of the objective information I have provided or the testimonials from the two of you, they are still in disbelief. 

This being said here are the barriers I perceive to consensus or recommendation.  Almost all are a direct question from individuals attending our meetings or captured in discussion.  These do not represent my personal questions.

Transportation

• Reports from the LJ Cluster are that a survey has been conducted regarding whether or not families will attend campuses if they are not offered free or subsidized transportation.  The verbal account received by our cluster is that there are very few families that will transport their students to campuses without SDUSD provided transporation.  We want the results of this survey and any plans for a survey for our student population.  Ideally we want a survey conducted of our students population.
• We want the transportation demographics across SDUSD.  Although Roy MacPhail did not have them Thursday, it seems like simple mathematics.  I expect SDUSD knows how many students ride an SDUSD bus from where to where.  Provide this a table and I will do the rest.  I have the rest of the information in a database.
• There has been reference to "four" transportation plans.  We need to have the documents describing each of these plans and any results of preference or BoE discussion as well as the relative costs (esp. from unrestricted funds).
• There appears to be a plan to phase out SDUSD transportation over time.  The duration and specifics need to be provided.  This affects our timeline and details regarding a recommendation.

Policy/Preference Barriers to Changing the Recommendation (e.g. External Factors)

• Magnet status seems to be a strong factor to SDUSD with regards to school realignment.  In other words, it does not seem acceptable to discontinue the Magnet program at either MBHS or CP.  Without funding, the Magnet program status seems inconsequential and possibly biased against resident students.  Is this negotiable?  What are the terms of negotiation?
• The Federal grant for MBHS expiring in 2013 seems tied to Magnet status.  Please clarify if this plays a role in SDUSD's recommendation and explain the consequences of:  6 - 12 IB Academy as well as any other configuration at MB Cluster including merger with LJ Cluster.
• Services for Special Education are a considerable cause for concern, especially for BVT parents.  It appears that they are not a factor in decision making at SDUSD.  It appears that SDUSD will either provide new facilities at other sites or enable students with Special Education needs to attend BVT regardless of the Magnet program.  Please clarify who makes this decision and the factors involved.
• Clarify the admissions policy regarding Magnet programs as it pertains to residents of the MB Cluster attending a Magnet campus in the MB Cluster.  Describe or deliver the policy document that describes the procedure of selection.  Explain why the CP program was limited in enrollment below the Program Capacity of the site, who made this decision, and why.
• Will the MB Cluster be able to dictate policies at the new 6 - 12 IB Academy such as:  dress code, preparation requirements for attendance, enrollment in minimum number of IB classes, retention of IB trained teachers in exception of Post-and-Bid, reduction in support of remedial or non-IB preparatory coursework due to limited staff size/enrollment?
• What barriers exist at SDUSD to merging MB and LJ Clusters?
• Staff (certificated and classfied) at MB Cluster sites have a conflict of interest in any configuration change (jobs lost/reassigned).  Clusters were encouraged to include staff in voting and membership in committee.  This has recently been called into question by members of the cluster.  Are there any barriers to limiting voting of our recommendations to parents and community members without including staff?

Financial Tradeoffs

• The first feedback you received was that MB Cluster does not want its sites closed at all.  Teachers and parents are asking MB Cluster Officers if they can just say "no" to school closure.  They want SDUSD and the BoE to find other ways to close the financial gap.  Apparently, recent protests at Dana MS appear to have persuaded changes in the recommendation without any rationale.  Is all we have to do is wear red shirts for a day and we won't have to have our sites closed?  What are the repercussions of not closing sites?
• More specifically, Roy MacPhail indicated that SDUSD does not operate at full capacity under the State law and SDEA contract.  There is room to increase student:teacher ratio at the primary grades.  Please quantify the total savings required to operate SDUSD.  Then quantify the budget cuts contemplated to put school closure into context.  Next, quantify the savings if all classrooms were at the maximum student:teacher ratio and communicate the number of corresponding teacher layoffs.  Finally, quantify the savings if all X Factor funding were eliminated in AY 2012/13.
• If the target number of sites were closed, this was described as a $5M savings.  Quantify how SDUSD would be different than the above case given this appears to only increase the number of teachers by:  $5M/$90k = 55 teachers across the entire SDUSD.
• If we close more sites than is requested, indicate how we would benefit.
• Provide a complete list of recommendations for all clusters so MB Cluster can see that other clusters are participating the shared sacrifice.
• Provide a projection of where the students that currently attend MBHS and PBMS will attend public school when transportation is discontinued for our campus.
• Provide a projection of how SDUSD will provide education for the > 6000 students from Hoover, Lincoln, Morse, and San Diego.  Will Prop. S funds be used to provide additional facilities?  How will this impact Prop. S funds for the MB Cluster - either existing plans for Prop. S or funds to provide construction for 6 - 12 IB Academy.
• Provide financial plan for remodeling the Education Center at Normal Street and the source of funds.

Site Disposal

• As indicated, only one person in the entire dozens of hours of debate and discussion has raised interest in selling sites that are closed.  Please document discussions regarding site sale or direct us towards minutes (BoE) or in committee regarding site sale.
• Estimate the real estate value of sites already sold and their location.
• Provide direction towards lease value of sites leased and lease potential for MB Cluster sites as well as the remaining SDUSD sites considered for closure.
• Direct us towards the policy or law that will be followed for decisions, options, review, and bidding process fro site disposal.

That is the short list.  Let me know if you need any clarification to any questions.

Brian

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From: Barnett Scott <sbarnett@sandi.net>
To: Amy Monroe <amydmonroe@hotmail.com>
Cc: Stover Philip <pstover@sandi.net>; Merino Mitzi <mmerino@sandi.net>; Family Catanzaro <pbcatanzaro@pacbell.net>
Sent: Tue, October 25, 2011 11:49:17 AM
Subject: Re: Board of Education Meeting TONIGHT 5pm
Will be discussing busing tonight and it will likely impact closing.
Do you know what questions have been asked that have not been answered that are relevant to the specific closure issues in MB cluster?
I think it may make sense to have Phil's team meet with the MB closure sub committee and ensure the relevant unanswered questions are addressed so then the entire cluster board will be able to make a recommendation prior to November 29th
Thanks
Scott Barnett
Sent from my iPad