I've been giving a lot of thought to what the 'Ad Hoc' school committee is trying to plan, and have come up with a few ideas of what might come out of their tax-storming sessions.
Given the current climate in Grand County--especially after Kremmling declined a committee invite--there are few options the committee may realistically consider. Until recently, I believe the organizations that make up the committee thought a tax question on the November ballot would be a done deal, and the school problem would be solved. This group think came after decades of voter buy-in, and did not take into account the obvious economic factors affecting our citizens. If given today, a sales tax initiative--wether an increase or a diversion of existing funds--would most surely fail.
I would hope the committee is considering other options, because if they throw a Hail Mary on taxes, they will look like complete fools if they don't get the votes. Not having a backup plan will ensure every elected official partaking of this charade will be forcefully ejected at the ballot box, if that's not already the case.
As it stands, the school district is not well positioned to weather another year under the current budget. The committee will most certainly come out with some considerable cuts to things that are politically unsavory in a ploy to get voter buy-in, but not long-term solutions. If they do what you would expect a political body of this nature to do, they'll set themselves up for a crisis coming into the 2012-2013 school year; which is next spring from a budgetary planning standpoint. No amount of 'community support' will be able to help at that point.
So, as my headline suggests, I have a possible solution that would work for both the Fraser Valley and Grand Lake Elementary schools should the "long-term" funding be turned down by voters.
School infrastructure is paid for separately from the East Grand School District general fund, so even when the schools are closed after next year, the buildings will continue to be taken care of. Empty buildings aren't necessarily a bad thing.
By law, the school district is required to allow charter schools to take over unused buildings. One plan I've heard tossed around is to bring the unused elementaries under the umbrella of the Indian Peaks Charter School charter. This could avoid months or years of red tape and get those buildings back in use teaching kids as quickly as possible. Indian Peaks Charter School has been in operation for nearly a decade, and has the expertise to make this work.
With three schools operating on a strict budget, there will be greater pressure on the district to shape up. Heck, with the great performance we're already getting out of the charter school, the community may even decide to do away with the school district altogether and have charter schools from K-12!
I think your article is very optimistic but gives Indian Peaks Charter School alot more credit than is due. The only reason the charter school does well is because of the few gifted students that help bring up the numbers for that school. The leadership is incredibly poor and they do not pay their teachers well, in fact they screw teachers out of the little money they do promise them with their unethical and misleading (but legal!) contract! I will be surprised if they even open for the 2012-2013 school with the low numbers they have predicted and the even lower chance that they will be able to find anyone else to continue screwing out of their salary and benefits. Send your children elsewhere!!
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