Ladies and Gentlemen,

After reading more about the panic to cut class periods and close schools, I am compelled to write again today. 

Nowhere have I read about the additional cost of bussing the
students, the disruption to peoples lives and the social costs of closing neighborhood schools to pack the children into large schools and then to cut their education by one school period. As I said yesterday; you are going backwards! 

We should be searching for ways to keep more, efficient schools open. The schools you are proposing to close are some of the newest and most efficient schools in the district ( Rockridge and Birchwood ), while the inefficient Central Administration Building will remain open. Sell the CAB, recover some cash, put it into the schools and 
the students. Cut out one, or probably more, of the Asst. Superintendent positions, I'm sure there is plenty of fat there. Finding a place to house a scaled-down administration and the few displaced students from the CAB should be easy, there are vacant schools  available! How much money can be saved there?

Gov. Ventura's budget is only a proposal, it will likely be changed significantly. With every district in the state criticizing the reduction in funding for the schools it is not likely to pass without major modifications. Planning ahead is smart but don't panic! The district should have long range plans in place, by long range I mean years not months. 

Be ready, but have a plan that protects the education of the students, not the easy way out by slamming school doors. Look to the future, maintain and develop efficient school buildings. If we have to dip into the reserve, do it, but have a plan to recover that spending. 

Remeber, it's the children, that's where the future lies.


Sincerely,