BCT Editorial – 5/3/09

This page was last updated on May 4, 2009.

Merger move; Editorial; Beaver County Times; May 3, 2009.

As “Old news,” this editorial provides no figures to support its conclusion and make no mention of the impact on taxpayers.

The following data comes from links on the CASD website. FYI, the merger info on the CASD website hasn’t been updated in over a year and appears to be non-existent on the MSD website.

Based on the enrollment and capacity figures in the 2006 Ingraham Dancu Study, it appears we’re keeping the Monaca Junior-Senior High School (MHS) building because capacity at the Center High-Middle School (CHS) would initially come up about 64 students short, just over 10 students per grade. (I’m not claiming the 64 students are spread evenly among the grades. I’m just showing we’re talking about an average shortfall of less than half a classroom per grade.) The CHS building would initially operate at only about 71% of capacity and the MHS building would initially operate at about 89% of capacity. Three studies all show continuing enrollment decline. Therefore, as time goes forward, the underutilization of both buildings would continue to increase.

A recent Times story said, “renovations [to MHS], mostly related to Americans with Disabilities Act issues, … would cost around $775,000.” The 2007 EMG study said, “To renovate the [MHS] building to meet current educational standards would cost the district from $6.6 to $12.2 million.” Effectively, all this expense plus operating expenses is to accommodate 64 students, and fewer as enrollment drops.

Clearly I don’t have access to all the facts and potential alternatives, but based on what’s available it seems keeping a complete junior-senior high school building open to accommodate 64 and an ever-smaller number of students isn’t in the best interests of both education and taxpayers.