Is it true that $81,000 is all it would take to prevent the Lapham-Marquette pair from being consolidated? And that if it remains consolidated, it will be overcrowded in 5 years? I’m not on the school board, and I don’t know their budget that well, but if that is true, it seems there has to be a better solution.
My cursory understanding of the budget is that the consolidation saved $522,000. Of that amount $201,000 was from salaries of a principal, a librarian and another staff person. The other 321,000 was for rent saved by having the alternative programs in school district owned space instead of renting.
In other words, if Lapham and Marquette kept the same kids in their schools and added the alternative programs, it only saves $201,000 to consolidate the schools. Another $119,000 could be saved by not having a second principal, by sharing a principal between the schools. That leaves $81,000.
Surely, we’re not closing a neighborhood school over $81,000, are we? There has to be a better solution.
p.s. sorry so late this morning, google was giving me a rough time!
