Rumor has it - MCPS has made it known to some that it is interested in acquiring either by lease or purchase of the historic Lincoln School in the Rattlesnake Valley. The rumor is that the district is considering using Lincoln School to ease the crowding at Rattlesnake School.
As has been brought up by msw many times in public comment before the Board that Rattlesnake School is AT CAPACITY. In fact, the school district spent thousands on a modular just two summers ago. This modular houses only two classrooms.
And most importantly, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT EXTENDED THE LEASE OF PRESCOTT SCHOOL JUST 7 MONTHS PRIOR TO DISCUSSIONS OF BUSING RATTLESNAKE STUDENTS TO PAXSON SCHOOL.
The district did not send students to Paxson School and decided to go the modular route. This decision was entrenched in strange goings on by the district. Just one suspicious instance is that REGIONAL MANAGERS DID NOT KEEP ANY MINUTES.
msw would have liked for Lincoln School never to have been sold, however, msw is very happy that Lincoln School may be once again used for public school children.
ALSO - THE USE OF LINCOLN SCHOOL DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE NEED TO SELL OR LEASE PRESCOTT SCHOOL. WE NEED ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS IN THE RATTLESNAKE - JUST AS WE HAD FOR MANY YEARS.
Being such a proponent of neighborhood schools, msw believes that MCPS needs to look into the purchase of Lincoln School. Lincoln School has been a vital component thorough out the years beginning in 1912, the year it was built.
Being also such a proponent of our historic buildings msw sees a wonderful building full of charm which could still benefit Missoula citizens of all ages.
Having gone through Lincoln School recently msw believes that Lincoln School is in quite good shape - it needs basic maintenance for sure but other than that it is not in the realm of impossibility that this school could still be a great asset for MCPS and more specifically the Rattlesnake neighborhood. One person on the tour thought that the furnace was actually in good shape considering it's age.
msw LOVES LINCOLN SCHOOL, AS MANY OTHERS DO ALSO!!
Note: A part of msw's family history - msw's great-grandfather Willard Tiffany, was arriving at Lincoln School one morning (msw is not sure if Willard worked at Lincoln school as a janitor or what)and there to greet him was a big mountain lion!! I'm not sure what action he took, but it must have been quite a scary experience. The huge tree that was recently cut down was known to house many mountain lions throughout the years.
As has been mentioned on other msw's blog posts or(perhaps on other blogs such as Prescott School Missoula or missoula schools (with an s) watchdog msw attended Lincoln School! It was only for a month or two, however, msw remembers an important aspect of facility planning from this experience. msw lived in the Lewis and Clark area and because of overcrowding in the southern schools of Missoula 4th graders were bused to north side schools, thus the forth graders at Lewis and Clark School in 1964 were bused to Lincoln School - and we LOVED it as I remember. After moving to a 39th Street area home msw and all 4th graders from the Cold Springs area were bused to Paxson.
MCPS Trustees could take a page out of the 1960's facility arrangements. Busing one grade of students to another school makes more sense in man y aspects of school facility planning. Viva C. S. Porter (msw believes this was the superintendent at the time.)
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