The first post on this blog was on June 13th, of this year, ten days ago. In that post msw explained why there is now a second blog by a self-confessed watchdog for Missoula's schools - mostly the public school system, MCPS.
The move to a slightly different blog name has more to do with technology than anything else. msw was unable to separate from a blog titled "missoula on ice" Therefore, all of the blog posts were posted with the "missoula on ice" name in addition to the "rattlesnake grandma" name.
There was a desire to have all posts with the same title as the blog, therefore, missoula schoolS watchdog was renamed missoula school (no s) watchdog.
missoula school watchdog apologizes for this change but felt that it was necessary.
Please feel free to browse both missoula schools watchdog blog as well as the new missoula school watchdog blog as there most likely will not be time to transfer many of the posts from missoula schools watchdog to the new blog.
Thank you very much to all the readers of both blogs for your understanding in this transition!
missoula school watchdog would like to encourage others to get on the web and tell us what YOU see going on in the missoula school system. MCPS needs hundreds of watchdogs that's for sure. As many Missoulians know there is MUCH to report!
Of course one doesn't exactly need a blog to voice their opinion. Thanks to all that are keeping an eye on the district for the student's sake and for the sake of the Missoula taxpayer. In February of this year when the district gave Superintendent Apostle a 13% raise hundrreds of Missoulians stepped up to the plate and expressed their outrage, both at meetings, on a petition, and in writing.
missoula school watchdog would rather be doing many other things other than attempting to point out shenanigans within MCPS. It would be great if our school officials would cease to work against our children's best interests. Unfortunately, it is quite impossible to ignore the corruption, mismanagement, unfairness, disloyalty, and malfeasance.going on within MCPS.
Let's shine the light on MCPS together and root out the evildoers!
Again - Welcome to the missoula school watchdog blog!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
City’s proposal to buy PEAS Farm is a win for all
Click on the link below to read a guest editorial on selling valuable school land to Garden City Harvest (Peas Farm). This column was written by Martha Newell and was published in the June 23, 2013 edition of the Missoulian.
City’s proposal to buy PEAS Farm is a win for all
missoula schools watchdog, having witnessed firsthand in the last 10 years disastrous property decisions by the school district would like to say - THIS IS NOT A GOOD DEAL FOR MCPS AND IT'S BENEFICIARIES - MISSOULA'S PUBLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN AND THE MISSOULA TAXPAYERS!!
It is more about entities like Garden City Harvest, and others before such as St. Joseph's School and the Missoula International School wanting cheap land at a prime location.
But first let's look at the players involved in this issue:
Let's start with Martha Newell, the author of the guest column. Newell is the wife(or partner) of former Missoula mayor Mke Kadas. The current mayor, John Engen, came before the school board at it's June meeting and stated four reasons why MCPS should sell the land to Garden City Harvest.
So we have the mayor connection.
Another connection of Newell's to keep in mind is that of former MCPS Board Chairwoman Toni Rehbein. Both Martha Newell and Toni Rehbein served on the Board of Missoula International School at the same time and in different years. It is absolutely clear that these two, Newell and Rehbein have had or still have a relationship due to their serving on the MIS Board.
Missoula International School is an International Baccalaureate Program school, IB for short. Rehbein and the school district, in addition to Superintendent Apostle have been heavily promoting the IB program and have successfully instituted it at Hellate High School. It would be interesting to know if the Kadas/Newell family have a son in the IB program at Hellgate. Even if none of her family was currently enrolled in the Hellgate IB program, Newell would most likely be happy and support the idea that there was a high school IB program so that MIS students could continue with their IB schooling.
It is msw's opinion that the reason the school district wants to sell any land it can get away with, is that it needs to raise funds for it's expensive IB program and other programs which have begun in the last couple of years in the Rehbein/Apostle era. In other words, instead of being frugal and responsible with the taxpayers money, they will recklessly start new programs without knowing from where the funding will come.
Missoula has lost so much of our school infrastructure, i.e. neighborhood schools, in the last few decades. It is time to put a stop to it for both our students who will fare better in their own neighborhoods and for the taxpayers. HINT: The School Board has talked about selling our present schools and BUILDING NEW SCHOOLS!! BEWARE OF MANY ON THIS SCHOOL BOARD AND THEIR NEFARIOUS WAYS. New School Board Trustees: please know that you dealing in a lot of politics that is going on behind the scenes.
More connections? Probably!!
City’s proposal to buy PEAS Farm is a win for all
missoula schools watchdog, having witnessed firsthand in the last 10 years disastrous property decisions by the school district would like to say - THIS IS NOT A GOOD DEAL FOR MCPS AND IT'S BENEFICIARIES - MISSOULA'S PUBLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN AND THE MISSOULA TAXPAYERS!!
It is more about entities like Garden City Harvest, and others before such as St. Joseph's School and the Missoula International School wanting cheap land at a prime location.
But first let's look at the players involved in this issue:
Let's start with Martha Newell, the author of the guest column. Newell is the wife(or partner) of former Missoula mayor Mke Kadas. The current mayor, John Engen, came before the school board at it's June meeting and stated four reasons why MCPS should sell the land to Garden City Harvest.
So we have the mayor connection.
Another connection of Newell's to keep in mind is that of former MCPS Board Chairwoman Toni Rehbein. Both Martha Newell and Toni Rehbein served on the Board of Missoula International School at the same time and in different years. It is absolutely clear that these two, Newell and Rehbein have had or still have a relationship due to their serving on the MIS Board.
Missoula International School is an International Baccalaureate Program school, IB for short. Rehbein and the school district, in addition to Superintendent Apostle have been heavily promoting the IB program and have successfully instituted it at Hellate High School. It would be interesting to know if the Kadas/Newell family have a son in the IB program at Hellgate. Even if none of her family was currently enrolled in the Hellgate IB program, Newell would most likely be happy and support the idea that there was a high school IB program so that MIS students could continue with their IB schooling.
It is msw's opinion that the reason the school district wants to sell any land it can get away with, is that it needs to raise funds for it's expensive IB program and other programs which have begun in the last couple of years in the Rehbein/Apostle era. In other words, instead of being frugal and responsible with the taxpayers money, they will recklessly start new programs without knowing from where the funding will come.
Missoula has lost so much of our school infrastructure, i.e. neighborhood schools, in the last few decades. It is time to put a stop to it for both our students who will fare better in their own neighborhoods and for the taxpayers. HINT: The School Board has talked about selling our present schools and BUILDING NEW SCHOOLS!! BEWARE OF MANY ON THIS SCHOOL BOARD AND THEIR NEFARIOUS WAYS. New School Board Trustees: please know that you dealing in a lot of politics that is going on behind the scenes.
More connections? Probably!!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Current MCPS Bulding Leases downloaded from website on the Facility Plan agenda meeting held today
This chart was included with the agenda on the mcpsmt.org website. There were other documents also listed which one could download.
missoula schools watchdog is particularly interested in the Rattlesnake properties as msw believes that we need to keep ALL of our properties in order to house ALL grades and to allow for any possibility of future needs for a school building. If we run out of classroom space - we will need to either build more classrooms OR bus our children out of the Rattlesnake. Busing any grade out of the Rattlesnake has always been an unpopular idea.
CURRENT MCPS BUILDING LEASES
missoula schools watchdog is particularly interested in the Rattlesnake properties as msw believes that we need to keep ALL of our properties in order to house ALL grades and to allow for any possibility of future needs for a school building. If we run out of classroom space - we will need to either build more classrooms OR bus our children out of the Rattlesnake. Busing any grade out of the Rattlesnake has always been an unpopular idea.
|
School
|
Total Sq. Ft.
|
Acres
|
Rent per Sq. Ft.
|
Monthly Lease Amount
|
Lease Term
|
Termination Notice/Renewal
|
Lessee
|
||||||||
|
Prescott
|
25,100
|
2.3
|
1.24
|
$3,333
|
8/1/2009 - 7/31/2012
|
Either party may terminate
with 90-day written notice. Lessee may terminate with 90-days written notice
at conclusion of years 2, 3, and 4 of the term of lease. Rent to increase
$5000 each ensuing year on Aug. 1st.
|
Missoula International Schools
|
||||||||
|
2.19
|
$4,583
|
8/1/2012 - 7/31/2013
|
Board approved 7/12/2011
|
||||||||||||
|
2.29
|
$4,792
|
8/1/2013 - 7/31/2014
|
"
|
||||||||||||
|
2.39
|
$5,000
|
8/1/2014 - 7/31/2015
|
"
|
||||||||||||
|
CPIU with 3% Cap
|
8/1/2015 - 7/31/2016
|
"
|
|||||||||||||
|
CPIU with 3% Cap
|
8/1/2016 - 7/31/2017
|
"
|
|||||||||||||
|
Mt. Jumbo
|
39,200*
|
5.3
|
2.25
|
$4,380
|
10/30/2005 - 10/30/2010
|
Lessee may renew for
additional five years subject to discretion of Board
|
Walla Walla University
|
||||||||
|
2.29
|
$4,748
|
10/30/2010 - 10/30/2015
|
Board approved 6/8/2010
|
||||||||||||
|
CPIU with 3% Cap
|
Yearly increase
|
||||||||||||||
|
* Walla Walla University
leases approx. 23,000 sq. ft. (59%) of Mt. Jumbo, and the remainder is used
by MCPS for storage
|
|||||||||||||||
|
Whittier
|
$1/year
|
8/1/2004 - 7/31/2014
|
Either party may terminate
with 90-day written notice.
|
Head Start
|
|||||||||||
|
Duncan Drive
|
1.32
|
$10 every 10 years
|
7/1/2000 - 6/30/2010
|
Either party may terminate
with 90-day written notice. Lessor must notify in writing 90-days prior to
June 30.
|
City of Missoula
|
||||||||||
|
Lowell Site
|
4.3
|
$1/year
|
9/1/1998 - 8/31/2008
|
Lessor may terminate with
30-day written notice.
|
Missoula City Parks and
Recreation
|
||||||||||
|
Westside Park - Ground Lease
|
$1/year
|
9/1/2004 - 8/31/2044
|
City requested amendement for
40 year extension due to addition of splash deck. Board approved 11/11/2003
|
||||||||||||
|
Lowell Site
|
Lessee may renew for
additional ten years subject to discretion of Board.
|
Partnership Health Center
|
|||||||||||||
|
Ground Lease
|
10,730
|
$1/year
|
12/3/2012 - 12/3/2032
|
Board approved 12/3/2012
|
|||||||||||
Thursday, June 13, 2013
City wants to buy PEAS Farm from MCPS for $1.2M
Click on the link below to read a Missoulian article written by Betsy Cohen reporting on the desire of the city of buy 13 acres on Duncan Drive in the Rattlesnake Valley in the June 11, 2013 edition.
City wants to buy PEAS Farm from MCPS for $1.2M
Another coup by an entity who is taking advantage of irresponsibile and disloyal MCPS Trustees
Waiting an hour for the public comment period at a Missoula County Public Schools Board Meeting and welcome to missoula SCHOOL watchdog!!
Hello Missoulians!
A little housekeeping -
This is a new blog which is being created by the same creator of missoula schools watchdog.
The two blog names are similar, however, the new blog name is without an "s" on school.
The missoula schools watchdog blog was linked to a blog titled, "missoula on ice".
The decision to separate from the later blog was due in part to have all information regarding the new blog sharing the identical name. In other words, all posts will be by "missoula school watchdog" rather than "missoula on ice".
Please go to missoula schools watchdog to read past posts as there is a lot of information that is still helpful in understanding some of what is going on in the Missoula County Public Schools school district.
Getting back to the title of this blog post. missoula schools watchdog's first post was about waiting for more than an hour to make a public comment and how out of line that was.
So, to add some continuity between the two blogs missoula school watchdog decided to start with the same topic.
msw, again, had to wait for an hour to make a three minute public comment (on a non-agenda item) just two days ago at the June 11, 2013 Board Meeting.
Two people spoke during the public comment period. The first person did speak for quite a bit longer than the three minute time limit that is usually in place. msw spoke next and may have gone slightly over the three minute time limit.
This was Joseph Knapp's first meeting as the Chairman of the MCPS School Board. msw hopes that Knapp will follow the public comment guidelines so that there is consistency in the time citizens take to speak before the Board. This way everyone is playing by the same rules.
Anyway, welcome to the misssoua school watchdog blog!
Let's get some common sense into Missoula County Public Schools business. Missoula's children, parents, and citizens have suffered enough due to corruption and shenanigans.
missoula school watchdog will continue in the general direction of it's predecessor, missoula schools watchdog, that is simply to point out what msw sees wrong in the MCPS school district - which is unfortunately a lot at this time.
If anyone sees things that Missoulians need to know about their schools msw would like to encourage you to join the blogosphere!! Missoula needs you!
Blogger is quite easy to use. We need many watchdogs to keep an eye on Missoula County Public Schools. Ruff, Ruff!
(See another post welcoming readers to missoula school watchdog blog on June 23, 2013.)
A little housekeeping -
This is a new blog which is being created by the same creator of missoula schools watchdog.
The two blog names are similar, however, the new blog name is without an "s" on school.
The missoula schools watchdog blog was linked to a blog titled, "missoula on ice".
The decision to separate from the later blog was due in part to have all information regarding the new blog sharing the identical name. In other words, all posts will be by "missoula school watchdog" rather than "missoula on ice".
Please go to missoula schools watchdog to read past posts as there is a lot of information that is still helpful in understanding some of what is going on in the Missoula County Public Schools school district.
Getting back to the title of this blog post. missoula schools watchdog's first post was about waiting for more than an hour to make a public comment and how out of line that was.
So, to add some continuity between the two blogs missoula school watchdog decided to start with the same topic.
msw, again, had to wait for an hour to make a three minute public comment (on a non-agenda item) just two days ago at the June 11, 2013 Board Meeting.
Two people spoke during the public comment period. The first person did speak for quite a bit longer than the three minute time limit that is usually in place. msw spoke next and may have gone slightly over the three minute time limit.
This was Joseph Knapp's first meeting as the Chairman of the MCPS School Board. msw hopes that Knapp will follow the public comment guidelines so that there is consistency in the time citizens take to speak before the Board. This way everyone is playing by the same rules.
Anyway, welcome to the misssoua school watchdog blog!
Let's get some common sense into Missoula County Public Schools business. Missoula's children, parents, and citizens have suffered enough due to corruption and shenanigans.
missoula school watchdog will continue in the general direction of it's predecessor, missoula schools watchdog, that is simply to point out what msw sees wrong in the MCPS school district - which is unfortunately a lot at this time.
If anyone sees things that Missoulians need to know about their schools msw would like to encourage you to join the blogosphere!! Missoula needs you!
Blogger is quite easy to use. We need many watchdogs to keep an eye on Missoula County Public Schools. Ruff, Ruff!
(See another post welcoming readers to missoula school watchdog blog on June 23, 2013.)
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