The Continuing Saga......School District Gone Wild

And the lies just keep on coming! After all the denials from the concrete palace it now appears that DPS and the Queen were indeed contacted by the homeless shelter administrators about the move. This is drastically different from the story they told when the proverbial poop hit the fan. What can be believed from that office? Are they totally incapable of telling the truth? Does the school board even have a clue?

It is amazing that all surrounding school districts have been able to handle the budget reductions without layoffs (after attrition). But Danville? All they can do is say that laid off people were offered other positions. Again, the Pinnochio effect. I have received confirmation from at least three laid off workers that they were never offered alternative employment. Another was offered a job so far out of their job field that it was ridiculous.

Now a new scandal has reared its head. As many already know the district is experiencing severe declining enrollment. As a businessman I would assume it would be time to evaluate facilities and see where some consolidation could take place. No, not in DPS. They not only don’t consolidate any schools but decide to spend thousands upgrading one! The Woodrow Wilson Elementary school was closed in the late 1990’s due to “deteriorating facilities, land locked design, insufficient parking, and lack of accessibility….” (per school board report). After it was revived as a magnet school thousands of dollars were spent upgrading the HVAC system and the decadent magnet program poured more money into it creating media learning centers, dance studios, art studios, and other touchy feely designs. After that failed experiment and a lack of any future thinking the school reverted back to just another elementary school with a little over 100 students. (The school in its former life was a middle school with over 400 students.) A no brainer would have been to close this facility due to its age and condition and rezone the students to other under utilized schools. Makes sense doesn’t it? Not in the Danville playbook.

DPS has now decided to expend thousands of dollars to remodel the building and add two elevators! In addition they are replacing all windows, REPLACING ALL THE MAGNET INSTALLATIONS, and renovating the lobby area that is in such bad shape due to age. Again, expending money on an outdated, landlocked facility that has NO parking, insufficient athletic facilities, mold problems, and crumbling walls makes no sense.. Does this defy common sense? Yes, but remember this is DPS!

The elections for school board take place in May of 2010. I would surely hope that there will be a slate of candidates who will replace at least half of this moronic group. As has been stated before has anyone looked into the issue that in the last 4-5 years under the present administration more experienced principals, central office personnel, and quality teachers have left then the previous 15 years combined? Doesn’t that send a massage?

Wake up Danville, the Concrete Palace needs to be overthrown. Put Alice in Wonderland back into the rabbit hole. Only then will DPS be able to start its long hard journey back to the shining example it used to be.