SCHOOL REPORT: S.O. S. = save our schools. Two women (Heather and Pam) gave a report on their desires to have the school closure issue looked at more fully. Their report, in brief: "In the school closure area there are some legitimate issues that we would like to have addressed. In 1999 the School Board asked for a bond election to retrofit schools with the understanding that these schools would continue to used. Several schools were retrofitted; two schools were rebuilt (2 were only 5 blocks apart). Now they want to close 2 schools. They formed a committee to discuss the issue and make recommendations. The committee took a bus tour and saw the outside of the buildings, but not the inside nor how the schools were run. They were most concerned with parking, what streets the children had to cross to get there, not the quality of the programs there.

The committee members were concerned that they did not have time to study the issues. They also said that the enrollment figures were not accurate. They only allowed the enrollment of the students who actually live in the neighborhood, not the total (including the non-resident students) that attend that school. There are two kinds of non-resident students: some come from outside the district. Those students are not fully funded, so it cost the district to have them. (Last year the non-residents cost $37,000.) Other non-residents students come from other schools within the district. These students don't cost anything more. They say that some schools are only partially filled, but they in reality are very full (like Lowell) because they offer excellent programs and attract other students from other schools.

There were other issues that the school board did not consider, of ideas how the schools could contribute to their own operating budget. They did not use current traffic figures. They have not done an accurate cost analysis of each plan. They also did not include the cost of busing students if they close a school.

It also affects property values, and makes more stable neighborhoods. If we want a stable neighborhood, we need schools. We have written a Resolution that we would like you to vote on: The Resolution reads as follows:
'School closure is a significant decision that can devastate neighborhoods in Salt Lake City. As an Avenues Council we ask the Salt Lake City School Board to defer a decision on school closure until the completion of a thorough and detailed community-based planning study that identifies alternatives to school closures and shows ways in which all city residents can collaborate to provide excellent and economically viable educational choices in Salt Lake City's schools. As a Community Council we expect to receive a report providing evidence of detailed analysis and extensive community and expert input on all aspects of the issue before any decision is made. '"

COMMENT: We are getting more people moving into the downtown area. There are also many working mothers downtown who have their children go to Lowell School. We need these schools in our Avenues area. QUESTION: Where can we get the budget for each of the schools? RESPONSE: We have asked for their line-item budgets but they will not give it to us. COMMENT: How will the buildings be used once they are closed? Can they be used for special ed? There were several suggested uses, one was for an Applied Technology school. None of the Avenues schools were suitable for an ATC school. COMMENT: There is no plan as yet to sell the properties, so they may keep them around for alternative programs. But if they close schools that have alternative programs, so they have to pay more to open schools for alternative programs, it doesn't make sense. COMMENT: How many of you have written to each of the school board members? Everyone needs to contact each school board member. You should fill the Highland High at 7:00 next Tuesday at Highland High. Check the Website: www.slc.k12.ut.us COMMENT: The process was flawed, and the changing of the number of schools being closed. So they need to re-do their decision-making process. COMMENT: We are concerned that they don't make available all the financial information, and that they don't break it down by school. They have 100 pages of financial info but are not broken down by schools. COMMENT: Marilyn Phillips - Principle at Whittier School and Jackson: (past teacher at Ensign): I want to thank you for your fine presentation. We have been working on this for the past several years, so it is not a new issue, as people have said. I wish you had been here to give comments three years ago. Having been a principle I have to watch my budget carefully. An accountant looked it over carefully from the district, and I had to keep within that budget. If we had night programs, we had to be careful because of the lighting bills. So they do ask us to be financially responsible. COMMENT: I think we need to keep the schools open, because people move into an area so their students can walk to school. COMMENT: I represent those who are retired COMMENT: Pam Johnson - I am on the closure committee. I think they need to slow their process down, to consider an over-all plan for Middle School as well. They also need to consider the fact that school choice is a state law, meaning they need to allow some room for out-of- boundaries students. They need to consider the optional programs, as well. So I would like to see an overall plan before they close a school. We also have to be honest about the demographics. I have lived here since 1976. We have way fewer children than those on the West side. They do need a plan, but we also have to look at the demographics. They have a plan for 500 students per school. I don't know if that is a right figure. But we cannot fill the Avenues schools. One elementary school on the west side has 18 trailers. School Choice is a state law. If we close three schools there will be no room for school choice.

RESOLUTION VOTE: Adopted and passed.

Meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

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