Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2003 13:21:03 -0700
From: moe <moe@kootenaycuts.com>
Subject: [KCUTS] "Kids First" Urges School District 8 Board to Consider All Options
For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, June 4, 2003
"Kids First" Urges School District 8 Board to Consider All Options
A grassroots group of concerned School District 8 (Kootenay Lake)
constituents, calling itself "Kids First", is asking the Administration and
Trustees to consider all possible options in their attempt to balance the
budget.
At present, the Trustees have only 2 options on the Board table: program
cuts vs school closures. There are, however, numerous other viable options
available to the District, many of which have been brought forward by
constituents over the last 3 months. Some of these alternatives have
already been successfully implemented in other school districts - such as
the School District 51(Boundary) move to a 4-day week.
Kids First spokesperson Rob Krausz says that "so many good ideas have been
suggested by parents, teachers, and other concerned members of the public,
that are simply better for children than the school closures being
suggested."
The list of alternative options includes:
a.. Consolidating classes within schools
b.. Eliminating extra Vice-Principal positions
c.. Sharing Principals between nearby small schools
d.. Eliminating extra administrative positions
e.. Closing the 2nd Board office in Creston
f.. Trimming excess operational costs
g.. Lengthening the school day
h.. 4-day week
i.. Grouping PD days together
"Many of these options can, individually or in combination, easily be
implemented to balance the budget. And, they are all far less disruptive to
students than school closures. Some of them are not disruptive to students
at all, and could save the District hundreds of thousands of dollars," says
Krausz. "We are asking the District: why is it that not even a single one
of these options is on the table?"
According to Krausz, the District staff have commissioned a survey recently
to ask constituents for feedback regarding the budget situation. However,
he notes, the survey - like the District's current proposal - focuses on the
same 2 options: program cuts vs school closures. "It is extremely
disappointing that the Board would not take this opportunity to seek out
input from its constituents on all options. We are asking the District: why
are all of the other possible options being left out of the discussion?"
A motion to postpone any school closures in the district is expected to be
voted on, on Tuesday June 10 in Creston. If that motion is defeated, it is
expected that first reading on 1 or more school closure bylaws will take
place the same evening.
Signed,
Kids First members:
Sandrine and Rob Krausz
Andromeda Drake
Juanita and Kevin Skinner
Andrew Howroyd
Joe Lojpur
Marlene Machmer and Chris Steeger
Michelle and Dave Cushway
Jalal and Mike Porter
Mary Ann Morris and Randy Janzen
Linda Woods
Gay Middleton
Maureen Murray
Kathy Speirs
Danyele Lafond
Sara Fujibayashi and Andrew Lazier
For more information about or to join Kids First, call 354-1552, or e-mail
krausz@netidea.com .
Media contacts:
Rob Krausz, Spokesperson 354-1552 krausz@netidea.com
Andromeda Drake, Spokesperson 352-2987 andromeda@netidea.com
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