The KCMO School District

[taxi]

I read that story and thought it was an April Fools Day joke.

[KCtoBrooklyn]

This decision is really disappointing. I think the Acadamie Lafayette HS would be a tremendous asset to the city.

I really like what I have previously heard from the new school board president, Airick West, and maybe he was one of the members who voted yes, but this decision is not encouraging.

One interesting bit of information from the Star article is that Lafayette is looking at opening another elementary focused on another language. I'm curious if they have any possible locations in mind.

[kboish]

Kansas City school board balks at sale of Westport High

When it comes to selling historic Westport High School, it turns out too many Kansas City school board members don’t want to let it go.

Foutch Brothers Real Estate teamed up with Academie Lafayette charter school to create an International Baccalaureate high school, which it hoped to open at the former Westport High School....

"I’m confused and extremely disappointed,” said Southmoreland Neighborhood Association President Greg Corwin. “The community has always been crystal clear that the best re-use is a well-managed school … and now that got all blown up.”

The KC Star is missing the greater story here.

The process by which the KCMOSD is disposing of properties is chaotic, bizarre, unpredictable, at least near criminal and clearly damaging to communities within the district.

Are reporters (editors/publishers) afraid to tell this story? Because they surely are not unaware.

This should be alarming to most people. The school board has some explaining to do about this decision. What possible reason do they have to deny this sale?

[KCMax]

And its not just a school in play here:

The plan includes 70 apartments, office spaces and performance art program space in the auditorium. Community fitness club spaces would be indoors and outdoors, using two gymnasiums, an indoor pool, athletic fields and tennis courts, even sand volleyball.

That would be a tremendous development for that area. And its being held up so we can have an abandoned building.

Circumstances around the building at 315 E. 39th St. are in flux. In particular, a possible streetcar line near the school could change the dynamics around its reuse.

Does the Board think they can get more money once a streetcar line is in place?

[chingon]

What possible reason do they have to deny this sale?

An election in 7 days...

[Highlander]

What possible reason do they have to deny this sale?

An election in 7 days...

That may have something to do with it. Probably more to do with the fact that a successful private school in the area shows them up for the incompetent organization they are - and drains away successful students.

[chingon]

What possible reason do they have to deny this sale?

An election in 7 days...

That may have something to do with it. Probably more to do with the fact that a successful private school in the area shows them up for the incompetent organization they are - and drains away successful students.

Didn't they just buy the school at 34th/Cherry from the district a couple years ago?

As well as, I assume, the Oak St. School some time ago?

Seems like the District would be more threatened by successful elementary Charters than highs schools, since the drop off from public elementary to middle/high school is already pretty steep, and a student who goes to a successful charter school is more likely to attend a private or parochial high school than a public one.

Maybe I'm over-thinking that, which is entirely possible with the school board, but it seems like a Charter High School would really only pull from students who would be otherwise attending Meige/Rockhurst/O'Hara or moving out of district anyway...whereas a successful elementary charter, which they have shown they will sell to, pulls from Foreign Language, Border Star, Holliday, etc.

[loftguy]

To amplify my comment, the problem with school disposition is widespread. It is not just with Westport High, though this is travesty d'jour.

Yes, an election is in a few days, but it is going to take new board members time to understand what is going on and even then their ability to have positive impact will be limited. Problems appear to exist throughout the "decision making" process.

[herrfrank]

This should be alarming to most people. The school board has some explaining to do about this decision. What possible reason do they have to deny this sale?

Competition. This has happened before, in the 1990s IIRC. The KCMSD does not want private schools operating in its district because it means less demand for their "services." Parochial schools and Pem Day/ Sunset Hill predate the school board paranoia (and in those days, KCMSD was a good district which could compete). Nowadays, a private school, especially one operating in the building of a formerly top-tier KCMSD high school, terrifies the school board.

[KCtoBrooklyn]

I wrote an e-mail to Mr. West to express my discontent with the decision. He said he can't "comment on matters that remain under negotiation" and that "the article in the paper misrepresented the situation" and the he "looks forward to being able to offer an update to the community soon

I'm hoping that this vote was just a temporary setback and they are still negotiating and working out the details.

[chaglang]

Baloney. There's isn't much that the Star got wrong, because the basic facts - that the Board voted to ignore their own process - is true. The real action happened in the closed session. But West does own some of this. He didn't adequately prep all the members of the Board on the deal, so they balked. Why they'd balk at the outcome of their own process is a total mystery to me, but that's the Board in a nutshell.

This will be coming back up for a vote after the election. So if you have a strong feeling about this, the person to email is the Board secretary at board@kcpublicschools.org. Even if you have no ties to AL - and I don't - it's frustrating for the District to engage neighborhoods in a public process and then ignore the recommendations.

The flow of AL students to KCPS high schools - even Lincoln - is shockingly small. So if the Board viewed an AL high school as a threat to their enrollment, they shouldn't have. Most of those kids are going private or to Kansas.

[chaglang]

Westport HS rhubarb has quickly progressed to the 4th stage of modern outrage- the online call to action:

http://dastrupcreative.wordpress.com/20 ... high-sale/

[chingon]

The flow of AL students to KCPS high schools - even Lincoln - is shockingly small. So if the Board viewed an AL high school as a threat to their enrollment, they shouldn't have. Most of those kids are going private or to Kansas.

That's the point I was trying to make, only you made it more succinctly and more clearly. Bravo!

[chaglang]

Weird. Succinctness is not usually my strong suit.

[KCtoBrooklyn]

Apparently the e-mail I wrote was forward to other members of the board and I have received a couple more responses.

Vice Chair Crispin Rea expressed strong support for the sale and is encouraging people to continue contacting the rest of the board to push for the sale.

I received a call from Marisol Montero (sub-district 3) and had an odd conversation. She voted against the sale and claimed that the last she heard, Academie Lafayette was not interested in using the building any more. She claims she also attempted to contact Jim Glover for his input and asked for data on whether neighborhood residents supported the sale and was denied on both accounts. I asked if she would support the sale with the info she now has and she wouldn't answer, saying she still needs more info.

There really was a high degree of incompetence displayed in this conversation. I asked her if the matter could be put up to vote again and what the process would be to make that happen and she had no clue. She also was strangely fixated on the fact that I mentioned in my letter that Chairman West had spoken at a meeting I attended without the approval of the board. It seems like she may have an axe to grind with him and is looking to nail him on this possible violation.

[Volker Dad]

Here's what I received from AL. Pretty sure they were still planning to use the school...

"Dear Académie Lafayette community,
As you may have seen in today's Kansas City Star, the sale of the Westport High School building to the Foutch Brothers real estate company was not approved by the Kansas City Public School Board. Académie Lafayette had been working with Foutch to house the proposed AL high school at the Westport High School building.

We want you to know this does not deter our intention to responsibly open the AL high school in the fall of 2015. The High School Design team is committed to creating an outstanding International Baccalaureate program for our students and we will find a location that will meet the needs of the program. Westport is not the only facility we have under consideration. We have been and are continuing to work on other options. And with respect to Westport, it is certainly possible that the KCPS Board could reconsider its decision. "

[DaveKCMO]

school board elections today...

[tacitus]

Looks like Académie Lafayette is opening a high school in the SouthWest building, instead of redoing the westport site.

KC Star: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article588144.html

Letter to parents:

[snip]

There is also an exciting development to report in our plans for an AL high school. As you are probably aware, for the past several months, the AL Board has been in negotiations with the Foutch Brothers development company to lease the former Westport High School for the location of AL's high school. However, a better opportunity has presented itself in ongoing conversations with the Kansas City Public Schools.

Today we are announcing our intention to enter into an agreement with Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) to operate an Académie Lafayette International Baccalaureate charter high school to be located at Southwest High School, 6512 Wornall Road, beginning in the 2015-2016 school year! The Southwest location has many favorable aspects including:

Southwest has lower utilization costs as compared to other locations;
* Southwest has ample room for growth;
* The building has space to accommodate academic and community partners;
* At the Southwest building, students will not have to share space with private residences (as was the case with our proposed Westport deal);
* The future of the Southwest location is not tied to the finances of a private developer.

The AL high school will be a public charter school autonomously governed and operated by the Académie Lafayette Board of Directors, faculty and staff. Académie Lafayette will have long-term, exclusive use of the premises at Southwest. The extension of this charter will in no way detract from the current activities at Oak and Cherry campuses. An entirely new staff and administration will be hired for the high school and will thus not adversely affect our excellent K-8 program.

AL middle school 8th grade graduates are automatically eligible to attend the high school if they choose. Additional open seats will be filled by students residing within the KCPS boundaries. Because this will be a rigorous, college preparatory program, non-AL students entering the AL high school in 9th grade will have to meet the same academic requirements as students applying for admission to Lincoln College Prep High School.

KCPS students who currently attend school at the Southwest location will be working with the district over the next school year to figure out their best choice moving forward. In order to aid in that transition, two parent forums will be held by the district for families of current Southwest students. Southwest families will receive guidance in one-on-one meetings to help make the right choice for their student. Public forums over the summer will solicit community feedback about this unique opportunity.

[snip]

[beautyfromashes]

I don't like it. The KCMSD has messed up SW so so many times. Why mix a school that has a great track record with one that has been terrible? Lafayette should push for a plan with complete autonomy.

[brewcrew1000]

Headline in April 2017 - 3 AL students assaulted outside of AL/SW school, SW students are suspects. If this kind of stuff does happen, wonder if people would start pulling kids out of AL.