Last updated on 2011.12.13
...and so should Pierre!
Orland neighbor Charlie Johnson offers his perspective on the Madison-Rutland busing ruckus:
During the last MHS renovation bond issue election, one of the most pressing arguments was the concern for the safety of the students. Rutland school district has decided that multiple bus stops provides the best safety and welfare for the students who attend their school. Why does one argument provide rationale for an election campaign while another is totally ignored in an attempt to throw unwarranted roadblocks in front of busing students.
Parents who reside in the Madison school district who have St. Thomas students, Madison Christian School students, or have open enrolled students all pay taxes. Students attending St. Thomas or Christian are picked up at multiple stops. Open enrolled students must congregate at one location.
It's time to end the needless battles over open enrollment. Students and families who open enroll should not be treated as second class citizens. The Madison School Board should reverse its policy on how it treats students who attend schools through open enrollment. Our local legislators during the next session should repeal the law that allows one school district to have veto power on how another school district transport students.
Open enrollment should be about families and students making the most viable choices for situations. It should not turn into child custody battles [Charlie Johnson, letter to the editor, Madison Daily Leader, 2011.12.09].
Charlie Johnson's kids-first perspective should also apply to the state Department of Education. Pierre is threatening to yank Rutland's accreditation for not accepting Madison's bus-stop diktat. Accreditation is supposed to certify that a school district is able to provide adequate education to children. Just what part of Rutland's efforts to provide safe transportation for its students indicates that Rutland is failing to provide an accreditable education?
If I remember correctly, some or most of the fault lies within the ever-changing state law on open enrollment. Initially, students could open enroll to another district, but the dollars stayed in the resident district. When that changed and the dollars began following the students, it became a marketing effort to increase business and district revenue. That's why Rutland and Oldham/Ramona spent so much money promoting in the Daily Leader and on KJAM for so many years. They wanted Madison's students for their fiscal survival. Madison can never win the public relations battle on this issue because we're the larger school with the students everyone else needs to stay open. If a student open enrolls to Rutland, Ramona or Chester because a parent feels their child will do better in that smaller environment, I respect that decision. But when a district blatantly and abrasively violates state law by demanding three stops instead of one central stop for their buses, then does it anyway in violation of state law, it goes too far. Remember, every school district is independent and has its taxation borders that other districts must respect. Otherwise, we'll have a free-for-all feeding frenzy to get students and the dollars that follow them. Rutland needs the 35 open enrollees or the state will close their doors...It's that simple. Go below 100 and you're done. That's state law. They pull the funding and accreditation when the student count dips too far. Maybe if that state pressure were removed Rutland would not feel the need to be so aggressive to get children.
Rod, please let the school boards finish working out an agreement to resolve the bussing issue.
Let's focus for a bit here on all of the good things happening at the Rutland school. We packed the gym monday night for our K-12 Christmas program. Yes, we continue to call it this rather than the more politically correct "Winter Concert"... Anyway, all present enjoyed a phenomenal evening of instrumental and vocal music. Thank you Mrs. Misar and all of our student performers. Our ORR Raider athletic teams are doing great things. Students tremendously enjoy our drama programs. Oh, and we also have a uniquely supportive educational atmosphere with intense academic priorities in place for K-12 students. These are the reasons people come (and stay) at our school, whether open enrolled or not. I'm sorry that we are causing so much trouble but we can't help it..... I can't seem to get our teachers and support staff to "back off". Our staff are fiercely motivated and energized to take care of school age children in all ways. Our local, Rutland community continues to support our efforts to encourage and educate all who can manage to get here, lol. Check out some of the latest posts on our district Facebook page from satisfied "customers". http://www.facebook.com/RutlandSchool