We made some great progress on your questions and tips for the People’s Reporters today. We got out two posts (one on the district’s shrinking enrollment and the other on how it’s deciding what schools to close).
But there are a number of other questions we’re still tracking down that we didn’t finish today.
Here are the three I’m chasing — comment on this post or get in touch with me if you know the answers:
1) From a reader via email:
Has anyone calculated the amount of bond money, since Prop MM, that has been spent at campuses that are slated for closure?
This is a really good question, but I’m going to alter it a bit.
Proposition MM, a bond to build and upgrade facilities, passed in the 1990s. That to me is far enough away from the current situation to not be relevant. I think perhaps the reader is thinking of the “Son of MM,” Prop. S. That is relevant since it just passed in 2008.
The question would be: How much has the district invested in these schools in the last three years, at a time of shrinking enrollment, only to close them now?
2) From a teacher:
Back in the years I was in accounting (work & school), I recall using the term “reserves” was considered incorrect so when (teachers union President) Bill Freeman tells me the district has not only $22,000,000 as required by the state, they also have some $95,000,000 socked into another “reserve.” Even the word itself gets my attention, as if $95 mil wouldn’t. District seems to claim what they have in reserves is legally mandated. For what purpose is the reserve? How much is there… What’s true? I’m teaching and don’t have time to research this. I bet plenty of people would like to hear this.
3) From Mark Giffin:
Now that the district has determined the first and second round campuses for possible closure have they also targeted first and second round campuses that would be sold?
If so when would those proposed sales sites be made public?
In which year might they be implemented?
Check back Thursday for more answers to your questions.
I’m the editor of VOSD. You can reach me at andrew.donohue@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.325.0526.
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