Thread: Mesa May Close Some Schools

Mesa May Close Some Schools
March 12, 2008




Fewer students and a $20 million deficit. That's what the Mesa School Board is grappling with as it decides a school's future.

Hundreds of parents are fighting to keep Jordan Elementary School open and turned out for the board meeting Tuesday night.

PTO President Amy Alpin doesn't think the board has thought this through. "I don't know if they considered maybe having a freeze on raises. I don't understand why they want to send kids all the kids to a smaller school with no room on their grounds when we have plenty of room for expansion on our grounds."

Kathy Barreiss of Mesa public schools says a new law is a big reason for the district's declining enrollment. "Well, there were the sanctions against our guest workers."

Meaning Arizona's employer sanctions law, which punishes companies that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. "Anecdotally we have heard from our principals that some of our families may have moved out of state or back to Mexico."

But something's stayed the same. "We have a growing number still of families of Hispanic descent."

They're just not growing as fast, she says.

She says Jordan is in a great neighborhood "and many of our homes are occupied by empty nesters. So, instead of having young children to fill our our schools, they are staying in the neighborhood, but there are not enough little ones to come into our schools."

Parent Nancy Norton says that's not true. "There's a bunch of people that are pregnant that live around area. Their kids are going to be going to Jordan. There are people moving in with kids. They're not counting those kids that are coming in. They're are some that are still little and not old enough to go to school yet."

The Mesa school board will have a final decision on that on April 29th.


http://ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=760235

Fewer students and a $20 million deficit. That's what the Mesa School Board is grappling with as it decides a school's future.

Fewer students mean better education and safer schools.

We all know what contributed to the $20 million deficit.

We all know what contributed to the $20 million deficit.

Biinngo!!!!!!

Kathy Barreiss of Mesa public schools says a new law is a big reason for the district's declining enrollment. "Well, there were the sanctions against our guest workers."

Meaning Arizona's employer sanctions law, which punishes companies that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. "Anecdotally we have heard from our principals that some of our families may have moved out of state or back to Mexico."

LOL !So this Kathy Barreiss consideres illegal invaders "guest workers."

I do not know where to start with that one...

Yes!!! I love reading articles like this. I can't wait until it happens here!