GET YOUR CARNIVAL TICKETS AT REDUCED PRICE

Still time to support Emerson and get reduced price tickets for the Carnival. You can still get Advance Tickets for the Carnival by submitting your order form and money to the office by Wednesday (forhand delivery at school only), buy them at the Farmer's Market Wednesday evening, or go to Carousel Stationary through Wednesday.

Starting Thursday the tickets will only be available at the Carnival. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. With the ticket you get a wristband for unlimited rides on any one day of the Carnival. You can buy individual ride tickets at the Carnival for $3 to $5 per ride. If you have questions, contact Frances McChesney at 530-400-4672.

FREE ENTERTAINMENT AT THE EMERSON CARNIVAL!

LOCATION: Cannery Park, Covell and J Street, Davis

DATES: Saturday, April 12 and Sunday, April 13

All acts will perform on the stage at the south end of the carnival site, closest to Covell Blvd.

Saturday April 12

1:00 PM Willett Elementary Chorus
Over 50 third through sixth graders from Willett Elementary School meet to rehearse once or twice per week before school under director Claudia Krich, second grade teacher. The performance will include songs from stage shows, movies and folk tunes.

2:00 PM Pallen's Martial Arts Extreme Demo Team
An elite team of students from Pallen's Martial Arts of Davis, ranging in age from elementary students through adults, will present a dazzling display of karate moves, stunt fighting, and self defense.

2:30 PM Davis Fencing Academy
French-trained fencing master Simon Petfield along with students from the Davis Fencing Academy will give an informative demonstration of the Olympic sport of fencing. En Garde! You can also try it out yourselves at their demo booth.

3:00 PM The Vintage Jazz Players (VJP)
This group came together over a year ago in Davis to perform jazz, latin, and funk standards using their unique arrangements and an energetic but 'laid-back' attitude in their music. The group was founded by Calvin Handy (tenor), and Robert (Dr. Bob) Blake (guitar) with key players like Jeff Minnieweather (drums), Erik Larson (bass), and Shannon Ko (vocalist). The VJP performs locally for a variety of events including concerts, conventions, festivals, and
receptions and ceremonies, large and small. In 2007, VJP performed at the UC Davis Chancellor's residence on Picnic Day. Drummer Jeff Minnieweather anchors the VJP with his dynamic, diverse, and highly stylized play. Jeff has performed with many top professional musicians in a variety of musical venues. Jeff is the VJP's link to Emerson through Marilyn who is a member of the staff at Emerson. Calvin Handy is retired chief of police, UC Davis, Bob Blake is a language professor at UC Davis, Erik Larson is a UCD graduate student, and Shannon Ko is a UCD undergraduate math major. The VJP will feature Terry Tippie on keyboard for this benefit event. Terry is an accomplished player and a Davis resident. VJP's musical repertoire includes songs by great performers such as Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Mile Davis, Paul Desmond, Sergio Mendes, the Meters, Lee Morgan, Joe Henderson, and many others.

5:00 Emerson student Rowan McGuire (drums) and Holmes student Noah Wolfe (guitar) will perform original and classic rock numbers.

5:20 Doodle - former Emerson junior highers Will Raybould (bass, vocals), Erol Kavvas (drums), and Harry Greer (guitar, keys, vocals) play energetic rock music for driftwood, arctic surfers and imperial scum.

6:00 PM Butterscotch
Emerson alum Antoinette "Butterscotch" Clinton is a 21-year-old internationally recognized beatbox artist seen on NBC's number one hit show of the summer "America's Got Talent" as one of the finalists. Before her claim to fame, in September of 2005 she battled for the First International World Female Beatbox Champion title in Leipzig, Germany competing with beatboxers from all over the world. She also is the newly crowned West Coast Beatbox Champion beating 18 men to get to the top. Butterscotch is also a singer/songwriter/musician who incorporates beatboxing into her compositions along with instruments she plays such as the piano, flute, saxophone, bass, guitar and performs regularly at shows all over the country. She is heavily influenced by jazz, classical, hip hop and R&B artists ranging from Frederick Chopin to John Coltrane to Stevie Wonder. After high school she was accepted into the music program at California State University Sacramento as a Classical Piano Major but now is solely focusing on her music career outside of school. She hopes to return and create a Beatbox or Vocal Percussion Major and believes the art of beatboxing needs to be recognized as its own entity, instrument, even genre. On the side she loves photography and has her works featured at local galleries and up for sale. Sports have always impacted her life being a basketball and soccer player on competitive leagues giving her that combative edge to succeed in battles and competitions.

7:00 Speakeasy
A rock/blues band of three Emerson alums, Garrett Bevins on guitar, Erol Kavvas on drums & Richie Rehal on bass, will play original & cover rock & blues material.


Sunday April 13

12:15 Davis Klezmer Orchestra
Members of the Davis Klezmer Orchestra include Emerson parents and friends Moreen Libet on viola, Ralph Libet on fiddle, Julie Partansky on cornet, marimba and ukelele, and Elaine Fingerett on accordion. They will perform klezmer music, which is a traditional style of Eastern European party music with a Mediterranean flavor.

1:00 PM Rita Hosking and Cousin Jack
Rita Hosking (Emerson Social Studies teacher) and her band, Cousin Jack, deliver original mountain-roots music, from soulful ballads to bluegrass drive. "Her voice has that lonely, experienced voice of the mountain people, though her mountains were in Northern California." -the California Bluegrass Association. Cousin Jack will be Sean Feder on banjo and dobro, Bill Dakin on bass and guitar, and Andy Lentz on fiddle. Come enjoy local, acoustic Americana at its best!

2:00 PM Affection
Talented singers Amelia Wagner and Jen Palmer, ninth graders at Emerson, will perform cover songs and some original material.

2:20 El Trio is comprised of an Emerson parent and César Chávez Elementary School staff (Ana María Currea, Mariluz Holguin, Ximena Jackson), singing and playing guitars and tiple. They will perform traditional Latin American songs including Colombian, Chilean, Peruvian, Argentinean, and Mexican music.

3:00 PM Sax by Popular Demand a group of predominantly high school age saxophonists, with rhythm section and occasionally a trumpet on some tunes to add a little spice, will perform traditional Jazz as well as light rock and swing tunes like "Singing in the Rain", "Don't Know Why" and "Blues in the Night". Under the direction of Celia Cottle, this band will once more perform at the International Jazz Jubilee in Sacramento over Memorial Day weekend as it has the past 8 years.

4:00 The J Street Jazz Cats - An advanced jazz band of Davis junior and senior high players, under the direction of Celia Cottle, will perform big band swing tunes and famous Traditional Jazz songs such as "Stormy Weather","Night Train" and "Ain't Misbehavin' . This band will also be performing at the Jazz Jubilee in Sacramento again this year.

5:00 - Jazzamatazz - A band of Davis junior high musicians, under the direction of Celia Cottle, will perform jazz, latin, and light rock favorites including the Peter Gunn theme, the James Bond theme, El Gato Gordo, and Chattanooga Choo Choo.

6:00 You will feel like you are in India when you hear Aditya Sundaresan, Emerson student, on sitar, and his father Ven Sundaresan on tabla, who will perform Evening Raga.

6:20 Frances McChesney, Emerson PTA president and parent, will take us to the Highlands of Scotland with her performance on bagpipes.

DOWNTOWN FESTIVAL

Saturday, April 26 - Downtown Festival (E Street) - 3:00 pm

Downtown merchants will be providing services and selling merchandise and food in support of the Davis Schools Foundation. Contact Jean Thompson for more information (Jean@AnOrganizedSort.com)

DAVIS SCHOOLS FOUNDATION - PICNIC DAY PIE SALE

Saturday, April 19 - Picnic Day Pie Sale - 8:30 am - Lutheran Church

Volunteers are needed to bake and contribute pies that will be sold at the annual event. All proceeds will benefit the Davis Schools Foundation. Contact Dea Diamant (dadiamant@comcast.net) for more information.

ALL SCHOOLS RALLY - APRIL 16

Wednesday, April 16 - ALL SCHOOLS RALLY - 2:30 pm

Public school students, teachers and parent are invited to participate in this district wide event. Students will gather at 2:30 pm at the Solar Panels in Community Park. At 4:00 pm a march will commence down B Street to the Farmers Market. The purpose is to call attention to the need to raise funds to return teachers to classrooms. Rally t-shirts will be sold at the junior and senior high schools and at the Farmers Market beginning 4/5. This event is being organized by the DHS Blue & White Foundation. Contact Tracy Beckwith for more information (beckwithcasa@yahoo.com).

DAVIS SCHOOLS FOUNDATION - TOWN HALL MEETINGS

The DJUSD budget crisis affects all of us: parents, grandparents, employers, property owners and community members. The Davis Schools Foundation (DSF) urges all community members to attend one of the Town Hall Meetings scheduled in the following locations around Davis.

Representatives from the Davis Schools Foundation will provide information and answer questions about the budget crisis and the Foundation. Come and find out about the Foundation's Dollar-a-Day Campaign and "Buy-Back" plan and how, together, our community can maintain excellent programs for all Davis children!

• April 7 - DHS Performing Arts Building 7:30 p.m.
• April 14 - Harper Junior High, MPR 8:30 a.m.
• April 15 - Cesar Chavez Elementary, MPR 8:30 a.m.
• April 15 - Patwin Elementary, MPR 7:30 p.m.

Davis Schools Foundation will gladly accept donations at these meetings, in the DSF box in the Emerson Office, on the website at www.davisschoolsfoundation.org/, or you can mail donations to Davis Schools Foundation at P.O. Box 1154, Davis, CA 95617. Donations are 100% tax deductable, and they can be made as one payment or divided into monthly payments. Funds raised by the DSF must be presented to DJUSD by May 15.

APRIL 5 ARTICLE AT SACBEE.COM

"Davis school board votes against closing campuses"

SUBMITTED BY CATHY SACKS

I know it has been frustrating to want to give to DSF, but also feeling that keeping Emerson open is most important because its closure would affect every secondary student in Davis in very negative ways. However, the decision last night to keep the current secondary configuration for this coming school year gives us relief from our frustration so that now we can give our dollars generously to the Davis Schools Foundation and work hard to raise the $4 million to put all the positions and programs back in the schools.

I know you are as relieved and happy as I am. The Board and District staff will continue to discuss whether to change the configuration for the following year, but I am optimistic that the passing of the Parcel tax, DSF fundraising efforts, and a positive budget revise will ensure that all the junior highs will continue with the 7-9 configuration and we can look at some boundary adjustment.

I have been inspired by the caring and proactive community that I live in and am thankful to have met many of you during this challenging and emotional process. Keep up the good work to make our community the best it can be.

SUBMITTED BY CATHY SACKS

I asked Tracy Beckwith of the Davis Schools Foundation if there was any way the DSF could help us put our money toward ensuring that we have three junior highs. Here’s her response.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please feel free to share the following with families that may have questions about the Davis Schools Foundation and/or where to make their donation during this time of crisis for our community and schools.

Briefly, though, to give perspective to the Davis Schools Foundation and to lay out the basics, there are some 400 + education foundations in California communities where they have for decades, in some case, made the difference between the basic, minimum funding provided by the state and superior, high performing, enriched public education systems. We have been in place for three years. The Davis Schools Foundation is an all volunteer board composed of parents and community members. No one is paid or compensated,and, yes, we can fund teaching positions. We are a 501(c)3 and all donations are tax deductible.

The mission of the Davis Schools Foundation is to provide an excellent education for ALL Davis public school children through programs and the funding of teachers in grades K-12. With this unprecedented budget deficit, the Foundation is faced with a Herculean job, but we are focused and will relentlessly drive towards the goals prescribed in the "buy-back guidelines" found on the website (www.davisschoolsfoundation.org). The fund raising deadline is May 15th when the school district must report to the Yolo County office of Education the funds it has to operate/balance its 2008/2009 school year budget.

Prospective donors should know that the Davis Schools Foundation can and will send funds raised to the district with the attachments prescribed in the "buy-back guidelines." In other words, your dollars will go towards exactly the priorities set forth. The Foundation, does not, though have a say over how facilities are used. This is a function of the elected trustees of the BOE and state law. Likewise, we cannot guarantee a specific teacher will return to a particular classroom for the same reasons.

The monies raised, though, by the Davis Schools Foundation will provide flexibility to the BOE....flexibility that can ease pressure to consolidate classrooms, programs and school facilities.

This is an important message for all Davis parents, but Emerson/DaVinci/Montessori families in particular.

While there are no guarantees, the bigger picture and longer view is that even if classrooms and/or schools are closed, next year your/our/my children will be sitting in a DJUSD desk in a DJUSD classroom with a DJUSD teacher next year. Would hesitant donors/parents really feel better about sitting on their Dollar-A-Day ($365 per child) knowing that those classrooms could have been smaller, or that their child could have had a librarian or science pull out, or that more 7-12th grade class offerings could have been restored if they had given? In other words, our children will need to be educated no matter what.....the question is under what circumstances do we want that to happen?

Holding back on a contribution to the Davis Schools Foundation does not penalize the school district and/or administration. It penalizes our students - our children. Moreover, if folks don't approve of how the school board has managed its money in the past, please know that giving to the Foundation is giving to money that is pre-prescribed in its spending. Those guidelines were developed in consultation with parent groups (PTA presidents and site council leaders) and are an organic, parent driven message of funding priorities. The district cannot take the money the Davis Schools Foundation grants and use it as they wish. Thus, if one really wishes to hold the BOE accountable, donate to DSF and know that 41 teachers will return to class rooms and that our children's educational offering will be better/richer/safer.

Kirk Trost will likely be coming on the Board of the Davis Schools Foundation with the express job of verifying spending accountability at the district.

Thanks Cathy. These are difficult (and sad) times for our schools and community. I/we welcome any and all questions. I/we welcome any and all contributions which can be sent to the address below.

Tracy Beckwith
EVP/Davis Schools Foundation
P.O. Box 1154
Davis, CA 95617

530/400-8250

SUBMITTED BY JANN MURRAY-GARCIA

Closing Emerson May Put All Davis Tweens and Teens at Risk

By Jann Murray-Garcia and Jonathan London

This has been an incredibly difficult column for us to write. We feel there are a few things perhaps we can contribute to our collective dialogue in this critically important time in our children’s lives.

First, we want to be transparent: our children attend César Chávez Elementary. We both envisioned all four continuing on in Spanish Immersion at Emerson.

We both also strongly desire that our children attend a school where the labeling of students as “Gifted” or “GATE” is structurally de-emphasized. Emerson is the only junior high where there are accelerated classes, but no GATE-only classes wherein children are tracked and physically segregated from one another by this adult-initiated label. We know of no other school district that labels so many of its children as uneducable within a conventional classroom. Do you? Please name the communities for us.

Emerson has created a learning environment that doesn’t just “say” we expect all our children to be high-achieving. It is what the children live each day in the structure of the institution: Potential is fluid, the timing of cognitive development is variable, and we are not making a major academic and status-laden dividing line based on a 45 minute test when our children were 8 years old. Perhaps this type of less stratified learning environment is why Emerson enjoys a higher API than the other two schools.

This is not meant to be an attack on GATE or the other two schools, but a highlighting of what is at stake in closing Emerson with just a few weeks’ debate.

Emerson’s amazing garden program, junior high Spanish Immersion…programs like these might be transferable to other sites, but this will be the second very successful learning community that we have dismantled in less than 2 years.

This time of crisis requires that Davis re-envision what our core collective values are. We hope the Board would make their indescribably difficult decisions based on sound educational theory.

Please take all the time you can before you make the essentially irreversible decision to close Emerson Junior High. Our plea is not just about “my school” or “what I want,” or our individually-defined “utopias.” It will impact every present and future junior high or middle school age child in Davis.

Sound educational theory predicts that larger junior and senior high schools have their calculable and hidden costs. A summary of decades of research data predicts costly consequences, both financially and emotionally for our children. The educational policy institute WestEd links increases in secondary school size to:

• increases in school violence, substance abuse, and classroom disorder;

• decreases in student attendance (potentially impacting funding);

• increases in student dropout rates;

• decreases in achievement;

• decreases in extra-curricular involvement, including school clubs

• decrease in students’ sense of connectedness to their schools

In addition, WestEd emphasizes that poor students and “minority” students are most negatively impacted by increases in school size. This latter fact links the decisions in the next few weeks to years-long efforts to eliminate the achievement gap in Davis. Please specify how each budget decision will impact efforts to close the achievement and discipline gaps in Davis.

And yet, how can we get there from here? Our hardworking district staff are thinking way outside the box in offering our equally hardworking Board with solutions to this fiscal crisis. How about us as parents? How about us as California citizens?

Are we just rats in a cage, into which the Governor and State legislators have thrown a ridiculously small piece of cheese? Are we dumb enough to react only by fighting each other and our Board members for that cheese? Or can we redefine what our elected officials are supposed to be pursuing for us in this “government for the people?”

Resist, California! Help lead the way, Davis! We can’t wait for this “Education Governor” ! We can’t wait for Republicans and Democrats to voluntarily de-fund a lucrative prison industry that directly benefits in the form of future inmates from the de-funding of public education. We have to demand what we elected them to do.

• In early February, the Napa Valley Register reported that the Napa Unified School Board adopted a resolution to “reject across-the-board cuts that would damage our public schools, and protect voter-approved, minimum school funding law, Proposition 98.”

• On March 10^th, over 100 administrators rallied at the State Capitol. Reminding legislators of tax decreases (i.e. drivers’ fees) that have exacerbated the fiscal crisis.

• In Alameda this week, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that 100 garbage cans were lined up and either a child, a teacher, or a custodian were placed in each. The message reflects what we are throwing away, or “trashing” in looking at a “cuts-only” budget balancing strategy.

California’s wealth, wealth-creating creativity and innovation, and our hopeful return to that are partly built on our K-14 school system, including junior colleges, and our public universities. Especially we 30-, 40-, and 50-Somethings are dependent on these opportunities being available to not just our children, but to this entire generation of California young people.

And please don’t forget to remind your children that the consistently number #1 industry in California is the agricultural industry. It is built and dependent on the backs of farmworkers, whose legacy we celebrate by recognizing César Chávez’ birthday on March 31^st.

NOTE FROM PTA CO-PRESIDENTS

We have been requested to explain how the Emerson PTA plans to use funds raised by the Carnival or other fundraising efforts. The PTA adopted a budget last fall that covers the PTA expenses (insurance, mailing costs, newsletter, etc), hospitality activities, 9th grade "graduation", and grants to teachers and the school to support student activities. These grants have included supporting the garden program, computers and video cameras, books for the library, PE equipment, and other teaching aids. The PTA has many outstanding requests from teachers for grants that could not be funded because there was not enough money in the budget to fund those requests.

As you may know, the Carnival was planned before it was commonly known that there was a budget crisis or that Emerson could close. Given that new information, the PTA will be considering revising the budget and will do so after engaging the entire Emerson community in that decision (as we are required to do according to PTA requirements and the bylaws). After the Carnival, the PTA could have about $20,000 in its bank accounts, maybe more. Just so you know, the PTA cannot directly support keeping Emerson open or pay teachers' salaries, but it can contribute to the Davis Schools Foundation. DSF does allow donations specific to secondary schools, but not specific to a school.

We invite the Emerson community to support the Carnival because it will be really fun and will support Emerson students and teachers wherever they may be next year. There will be lots of Emerson students/parents/teachers participating in events on Saturday and Sunday on stage at the Carnival and they can really use our support, including Antoinette "Butterscotch" Clinton - an Emerson graduate and internationally recognized beatbox artist; Jazz groups (Calvin Handy and the Vintage Jazz Players, Sax by Popular Demand, The J Street Jazz Cats, Jazzmatazz), bluegrass (Rita Hosking and her band - Cousin Jack), traditional Latin American music (El Trio), Emerson students (singers Amelia and Jen, Aditya on sitar, ), Willet Chorus, a Klezmer group, and bagpipes. There will also be lots of PTA-sponsored booths selling food and providing games. There will even be a birthday party booth for those who would like to celebrate their birthday at the Carnival.

4/1 SAC BEE ARTICLE about 3/31 BOARD MEETING

Link to story is HERE.

SUBMITTED BY ANDREA WEISS re 3/31 Board Meeting

Hello School Board Memebers,

I just finished reading all the documents related to tonight's board meeting. These are very complex issues and you have difficult decisions to make that will have long lasting implications on all the students in the district not to mention teachers and staff. Just as important, your decisions will heavily impact the economic heath and vitality of our community through implications for property values, recruiting faculty and staff to UC Davis, and quality of life issues that effect every citizen not just those of us with school aged kids.

Given the tremendous impact your decisions will have, I STRONGLY encourage you to give yourselves the time necessary to more fully study the implications of all the creative solutions being put forth. Choose to borrow from the reserve to keep Emerson open and the high school at 10-12 for one more year to give yourself the time to make a TRULY informed decision and allow the community to show their support of education by passing a parcel tax. The stakes are too high to make a rushed decision.

While the timelines outlined are nice in theory and I’m sure teachers and staff would do their best to meet them, the impact on all jr. high and high school students in the district should deadlines not be met or things don’t go as smoothly as hoped are just not worth rushing a decision. How often in life do things go exactly as outlined in theory, especially when we haven’t had time to think things through in depth or fully anticipate the unexpected?

Obviously, there are serious questions about the district's future that need to be answered by the Board: 2 high schools?, where does Di Vinci go?, How do we deal with a jr. high that needs modernization, how do we address declining enrollment?, how do we keep all the great programs?, What should become of the Valley Oak site? These questions all need to be answered but in a strategic, holistic approach with careful study and data behind the decisions. Not in a rushed, slash and burn approach to get the most money in the shortest amount of time.

Thank you again for listening,

Andrea Weiss

SUBMITTED BY GUSTAVO SOBERANO

Summary of the meeting with Gina Daleiden:

We met with school board member Gina Daleiden on 03/30 and these are some of the points that were discussed:

- Proposal H (from Emerson Teachers and Principal?) does not seem to be a viable option now (may be in the future), due to the fact that many Da Vinci students need to take additional classes at the DHS. Distance between Harper and DHS is a problem. Also Harper does not meet the standards now to be a second high school (it can be remodeled up to high school standards, but will cost a lot of money right now and presumably take too much time).

- Proposal G is being modified (not on the online documents yet) to either have the DVHS students at Emerson or at Valley Oak (without closing Emerson).

- The savings presented on proposal G are being revised since it does not include saving on custodians, consolidation of principals, etc. The school board will present a new revised economic analysis at the meeting on 03/31.

- If DVHS moves to Valley Oak, consolidation of principals (Patwin and Emerson) is a possibility.

- Vice-principal work at the junior highs (if only 7^th and 8^th) can be performed by counselors and/or teachers allowing more savings.

- DSIS can be moved to either DVHS site or Emerson (saving 0.5 principal cost).

- If Emerson stays open, we may need to choose between staying open and not being able to offer advanced classes (algebra, language, choir, band, etc.) due to low enrollment. Shifting of the school boundaries was brought up as an option in order to bring more students to Emerson. Another option is to bring more languages (Mandarin, German, Spanish, etc.) or special programs to Emerson (band, choir, drama, etc.), to bring more students from the other sites in town.

- A thorough demographic analysis, including density of children of different ages around town, will be reported shortly and will be part of the considerations.

- If 9th grade goes to the high schools, a WEB-style program (LINK at the high school) will be in place to help integrate them into the high school. They would also want to make sure that every student has a locker.

- If 9th grade goes to the high school, they may close the campus to 9th, and maybe 10th, graders (it's only open at lunchtime now, except for students who have an educational reason for coming or going , such as DSIS student coming for a couple of classes, or students who don't take 7 periods and therefore have a late start -- apparently, security knows all the kids who have business coming and going outside of lunch period, and other high schools have found this approach successful).

- Can't drop junior high 7th period now as another approach to saving money because of Measure Q. Changing that would require another vote in another election.

- Future construction of the University's West Village does not mean there will be a big increase in Emerson-district junior high students. The expectation is that that development will add only about 200 kids of all ages to the district.

-Selling DJUSD buildings would only support the facilities fund. However, leasing them would support the general fund that can be used for teacher salaries. There probably isn't enough time to work all that out before next fall, however.

- Safety issues and remodeling of Emerson will be discussed tomorrow (03/31) at the meeting.

- It appears that the meeting on 03/31 is just to hear community concerns, but it is unlikely that a decision would be made. The meeting on 04/03 most likely include some decision-making (9^th through 12^th consolidation, DVHS move).

Gustavo Soberano and Moreen Libet

SUBMITTED BY SANDY BATCHELOR ON MARCH 21 (AFTER PREVIOUS BOARD MTG)

Dear Board Members and Superintendent Hammond:

Thanks for the effective meeting last night. I appreciate that you did not close Emerson and seem to have genuinely listened to community concerns and ideas. Specifically:

Mr. Harris: Thank you for "looking outside the box" and pointing out that this IS a "rainy day." Perhaps we can put some money back into the "rainy day" fund with the parcel tax. The tax looks very minimal and do-able.

Mr. Taylor: I appreciate the frank manner and "right-brained" way in which you approach things, it's always good to have at least one person like that in the mix. I did not however, appreciate the fact that you re-iterated the backwards sentiment of the Enterprise editorial. The Emerson issue is not a "me first" issue. It affects all secondary education in Davis (half the kids!). One could argue that magnet programs, which serve a significantly smaller population are "me first."

Ms. Lovenburg: Thank you for asking for actual costs and savings of the options. Additionally, thank you for pointing out that without these numbers, not only can we not determine the best choice, we cannot weigh that cost with the potential negative ramifications of closing a school. I thank you for meeting with the parents of Emerson/Patwin and for obviously considering our thoughts. I also feel it is wise to look at where the next potential cuts could be so we can weigh those decisions with the current ones.

Ms. Allen: Thank you for suggesting that we need a facilities master plan--I cannot fathom why we do not have one already. This decision would have been a lot easier with that information. I believe there are other areas in which the Board does not have sufficient basic information with which they could make more informed decisions and promote good-will with the community at large.

Ms. Daleiden: Thank you for coming up with an option to save Emerson. You were the most responsive to my communications last week. I know you are all running around 24/7, but communication with the public is critical. Tempers only flare when we feel "railroaded." Thank you for bringing up the parcel tax, I feel this is very important and am greatly disappointed that the district missed the June deadline... was this a horrible oversight or are there other reasons? I like your approach of looking at the "whole system" as I feel we got into this mess by putting out individual fires as they came along in a very short-sighted manner. ( I think cutting off Emerson may become one of these "short-sighted" fixes).

The district needs to do it's "homework"...

1. A facilities master plan

2. A line-item budget, easily available, for the public, and a cost-benefit analysis of those numbers. I want to know how many children are in each class, in each school, to see if we are using every facility and staff resource. I want to know how much every program costs the district. I want an honest answer, backed up with data when I ask about a program instead of a cold shoulder that only raises suspicion. Then, I want the board, along with community input, to determine the priorities of the District and Board. The result; when inevitable budget cuts come, you know where it will hurt the least. More importantly, it will alleviate the "me first" tension that comes with lack of education and open, honest communication.

For example:
I did not understand why the district had to fund the DaVinci program once it lost it's funding and we found ourselves in a budget crisis, potentially cutting a neighborhood school. I approve of the program, and other magnet programs. I always support taxes/bonds which support our wide-range of programs in the district, no argument there, but it seemed fiscally irresponsible, in a crisis, to sacrifice basic education for "special programs". After attending the meeting (yes--I should have done more work before now), I realize that with a 9-12 consolidation, which I feel is reasonable and potentially preferable, we would be over capacity at the HS, so moving the DV kids out becomes a way to actually solve a numbers problem. Nobody ever explained this to me. In fact, I was treated as "divisive and unenlightened" whenever I asked questions. I have no hidden agenda to gut these programs, I just want all the facts and an equitable examination in times of budget cuts. Perhaps people are "unenlightened" because there is no way to really get this information, because of the defensive posturing around it, and because of the lack of basic studies as stated above, all leading to mistrust and suspicion.

3. Perhaps communication with the public needs to be improved. I did not realize we were in a budget shortfall previous to this January. Again, I take some responsibility, but I read the local paper, I publish the Patwin newsletter, you know where I live and my addresses, and this was not on my radar. On a side note, why was this deficit not addressed?

Lastly, please consider all the wonderful sentiments, ideas, and thoughts of my fellow "Patwinites/Emersonites"...(we float them around, you know)...people are hard working and have good thoughts and ideas, most of which I strongly agree with but should not address in one already-lengthy letter.

You will all be pleased to hear I will be away for spring break...see you at Emerson.

Thank you so much for all the hard work. Whatever the outcome, we need to know that this was treated with the discussion, research and integrity it warrants.

SUBMITTED BY KATE BOWEN

To the Davis Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees:

My brothers and I attended Emerson Junior High School. My husband’s three children graduated from Emerson Junior High School. Our son, Spencer, is the current Student Body President at Emerson Junior High School. Our family has a long history with Emerson Junior High School.

I thoroughly understand the difficult decisions the Board of Education faces for the upcoming school year. I also understand the possibility that the Board will vote to close Emerson, redirecting students to Holmes and Harper Junior Highs. This would be a devastating blow to the students and the staff who have worked tirelessly for years in less than ideal conditions to develop a strong academic program and a sense of community among students, teachers, and staff members.

After reviewing the five options before the board, I would like to offer an additional alternative to those proposals – an alternative that requires both vision and courage. This proposal should be considered if you are to truly examine all options before making a decision of such monumental proportion or in the words of our superintendent, “The Davis Joint Unified School District is committed to making you a partner in these decisions by giving the facts you need.”

I have long been a proponent of the four-year high school design and a middle school format for children. Research has long suggested that a four-year high school is better for students academically and socially. A middle school model is also considered desirable over current 7th -9th grade junior high model, allowing students to retain “core” teachers for key subjects, while providing additional courses for electives. Davis is one of only a handful of districts in the entire state with the 7th-, 8th-, 9th- grade junior high model.

I would like to see the Board examine the possibility of establishing two four-year high schools in Davis beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, each with approximately 1200 students – Davis Senior High School and Harper Senior High School. Emerson and Holmes could be used as 7th- and 8th- grade campuses, creating a manageable number of students at each site. Ninth graders would benefit from the academic programs offered at the high school, eliminating the numbers of children who already travel to the high school for classes and athletics, and 7th- and 8th graders would have the opportunity to refine their academic skills before entering the time “when it counts” for grades. In addition, a smaller school setting would give students “an increasingly more positive attitude toward school.” (Thomas B. Gregory and Gerald R. Smith, 1987.) Small schools also “allow greater student participation in extracurricular activities.” (James M. Kearney, 1994)

No one wants to close a school, especially without careful examination of the consequences. To close Emerson this year, would result in two overcrowded junior high campuses (which we have experienced without success in the past), unhappy school families in West Davis, transportation and safety issues for 11, 12, 13, and 14 year-olds, and displaced staff members who are already stretched emotionally and professionally. Harper was originally envisioned as an eventual second high school campus. Let’s use Harper as a high school, with the goal of developing two smaller high schools to better serve our students. Then, during the next school years the best minds in Davis could address the details of sports teams, musical groups, and activities at the two schools.

Please take the time to consider this option before making your decision. It would be a bold choice – one that requires vision and courage. It’s time to move forward, not back to the overcrowding we worked so hard to dismiss in the late 1990s.

Closing Emerson at this time would be a hasty decision with long-term implications – a decision that once made, could never be reversed. I encourage the Board to slow down this process, to make the best decision for all of our students.

Finally, in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, our school’s namesake, “To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” I challenge the Board to have that courage and do the right thing. You owe it to the population of West Davis to seriously consider options that will keep Emerson Junior High’s spirit alive for generations to come.

SUBMITTED BY TIM FAHLEN - OPTION H?

I think the following is the best option of all – care to reply to it with feedback?

Option H, or a modified version of it:

DHS 9-12
DVHS 9-12 at Harper or remain next to DHS?
Harper becomes new home to DVHS or another high school?
Holmes and Emerson Middle Schools 7-8 only
DSIS to Harper/Holmes/or Emerson?
District offices to Harper or Valley Oak?


Alright, I too believe that 9-12 is good for the high school, especially for programs.

DaVinci, with the addition of a 9th grade class, could use a science classroom at Davis High, or if they move to Harper, may use a science classroom (won’t have to spend $384,200 on a science portable) there that meets high school science lab specs.

If DaVinci remains next to DHS, then boundaries should be drawn so that there are close to equal numbers at DHS/DaVinci and Harper High School. My guess is that this would be too expensive in terms of teachers; maybe the two high schools would be too under populated for the 2008/2009 school year.

Alternatively, if DaVinci 9-12 moves to Harper, it can grow and potentially become a second traditional high school in the future, when DHS gets too big. Adding DSIS and/or the district offices to Harper (or any secondary school to reduce an administrator) saves $120,000, the cost of one site administrator, and it frees up the current district office buildings.

Holmes and Emerson should become 7th and 8th grade middle schools only. Among the current secondary schools, they are the best geographically situated ones (Holmes and Harper are too close to each other with respect to how far West Davis students are to Holmes) in town, concerning the safety of 12 and 13 year old children. With about 675 students at each of the two middle schools, the enrollment will be proper for the preservation of electives. And, when it’s most appropriate and affordable, Emerson can be repaired and modernized.

Lastly, with DSIS and the district offices moved, that property can be sold soon or sometime in the future.

This option seems to be the most cost effective and it would seem to meet the needs of the most community members in the long term.

SUBMITTED BY KATE BOWEN

Trustees,

Here is another scenario for you consideration:

1. Assuming Davis High is 9 – 12 (Great academic benefits, but outreach needed to work with neighbors about increased traffic, vandalism, trash, etc. Consider exploring the possibility of closed campus and working with local food providers to get food on campus. Dixon High has just gone through this transition this year and are having great results. Kids only grumbled for a couple of months.)
2. Assuming that DaVinci moves to Valley Oak (since legwork has already been done there with Sac City outreach)
3. Assuming that Emerson becomes a “smaller school” with 7th and 8th graders, retaining great programs
4. Consider moving DSIS to Emerson – possible benefits include:

a. One principal for site
b. Teacher leader for DSIS
c. One counselor for all students
d. Shared facilities (new computer lab at Emerson, library would not have to move, ample parking)
e. Shared support staff (office, custodial, etc.)
f. Gives DSIS a venue for events
g. DSIS students in 7th and 8th could be invited to participate in school events, teams, and clubs

Thank you for the work you do on behalf of our students.

Kate Bowen
24-year veteran teacher
Emerson parent

SUBMITTED BY DAVE PHILLIPS

Dear Board of Education:

Some late night/early morning thoughts regarding the Board meeting last night, offered with thanks for the difficult job you are doing.

1. Please consider a modified Option G. My suggestion is to move DaVinci, not to Emerson, but to Harper. My understanding from helping plan the science facilities there is that they are already high school grade facilities. Thus, no science portable would be needed, saving about $400,000 in facilities money and the need to rush far-reaching decisions to meet a deadline for ordering a portable. The ongoing savings would be the same as in Option G, plus an extra $10-15,000 not needed for moving Emerson staff and their stuff (I think that is a very low estimate by the way). You would need to move boundaries to balance junior high attendance.

2. Concerns about cutting a facility (Emerson) vs programs. Although I live near Emerson and teach there, this is not just about "don't cut me." I support the neighborhood schools philosophy in place in the district, and preserving that principle is worth some number of dollars.
"Programs" would be affected by closing Emerson. It has a unique set of programs and these would become extinct. More importantly, packing close to 1000 kids into the remaining two junior highs may look good on paper in terms of programs, but as I teacher I have seen the difference in kids' readiness and ability to approach a program when they have spent the day jostled in the halls, waiting in the lunch line for 25 minutes of a 30 minute lunch, etc.-they arrive in class not as ready to learn. There will be a cost to programs either way; it is just hard to put a
dollar value on the two junior high option.

There is another practical point that argues for giving the money for Emerson a priority over programs/teachers at this time. There is no other ready source of funding for Emerson, but teachers/programs can be added back as donations and other revenue possibilities come to
light; as I understand it, donations to Davis Schools Foundation cannot be used to keep Emerson open. The money for Emerson needs to be part of the structural, high priority budget.

3. Last, Emerson safety. The district architect said in our staff meeting a few days ago, in the presence of our facilities manager, that Emerson was structurally sound. Surely it will be as structurally safe next year as it is this year and was last year. The statement that
somehow the halls are narrower now than they were when we had almost 1000 students at Emerson just a few years ago is completely inaccurate. I'm not sure what he was thinking of (perhaps the original open plan when the school was first built?), but the implication of an unsafe
place was inaccurate and appalling.

Thank you again for your time and consideration.

SUBMITTED BY ANDREA WEISS

Below is a copy of an email I sent to the School Board members this morning. I think it is critical to begin engaging Holmes, Harper and even Davis High School parents in this issue so the community can unify over the issues as it truly is going to impact everyone!

Here's my email:

Thank you for your time and attention to the Jr. High issue last night. A couple of points I wanted to make:

1. I don't believe people are taking a "just me" approach to the issue. Issues being raised by parents and students about transportation impacts, travel safety, overcrowding, learning environments where students feel a sense of belonging and personal safety, property values across the city, etc. effect our entire community and aren't about "just me".

2. Before you make a decision you MUST determine the actual hard costs/savings. At first glance closing Emerson may look like $600,000 in savings but when you take from that not just the need for portables but also the cost to pay staff over the summer to reconfigure schedules, curriculum, classrooms; the cost of paying security for an abandoned school site, the
cost of solving the transportation issues, and I'm sure a variety of other items that haven't been outlined in Option A what would be the final savings number? That is the real figure you need to know to make a decision about the amount saved if Emerson is closed.

MORE PRESS ON POSSIBLE EMERSON CLOSURE

Sac Bee:

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/802368.html

Channel 10 website:

http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=39768

Channel 3 website:

http://www.kcra.com/news/15651230/detail.html

Channel 13 website:

http://cbs13.com/local/davis.school.fight.2.681299.html

SAC BEE STORY ON 3/20 BOARD MEETING

Davis schools meeting hears budget, closure options

SUBMITTED BY DAVE PHILLIPS

Letter to the Editor of Davis Enterprise:

We are about to turn over our schools' educational health to accountants and facilities operators. The doctor has said we need to lose some weight quickly, and the business people running this HMO have provided us with drastic options and a week to decide--no time for a second opinion or thoughtful weight loss: Cut off some combination of arm or leg.

They recommend left leg (Emerson) because it is a touch shorter, has some blemishes and would provide a lifetime savings on shoes and polish; the needed artificial leg would not count as an expense because it comes from a different budget line.

I'm sorry, but we need to go back to basics and have our Board of Education decide what we as a school district are to be; then we can ask the business-oriented staff how best to make that happen. We definitely should question the biased budgetary "analysis" presented to the public and board.

For example, listed under "concerns" for maintaining the status quo (i.e., keeping Emerson open), the district has "over 100 junior high school students continue to travel to DHS"; nowhere is mentioned a concern about 500 such students traveling halfway across town to Holmes. Fair and balanced?

As a district, we are best served by three uncrowded, unique junior highs, spread evenly across the city. Can we survive with two packed junior highs? Yes, we did four to five years ago. But we also chose to build a third junior high just to alleviate the same overcrowded, climate-busting conditions we are now proposing to revisit.

As we endeavor to save money, we also need to make sure we spend wisely what we have. The district has estimated a facilities cost of $400,000 to $500,000 just to move portables if Emerson were to be closed. Coincidentally, that is about the cost of buying three new science portables, which would largely take care of modernizing Emerson's science facilities.

Instead of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, perhaps we should start repairing the hole in the hull. Let's start planning now for a modernized Emerson. What lesson are we teaching our children when we just walk away from something that needs fixing?

3/20 STORY ON KXJZ (NPR) - SACRAMENTO

Steve Milne did a report on the possible closure of Emerson on KXJZ (Sacramento's NPR station) on the morning of March 20th. Click HERE to listen to the audio and read a transcript.

P.S. Gee, I wonder where they got that photo...???

3/20 SAC BEE STORY ON "DOLLAR A DAY" CAMPAIGN

"Dollar a day goal in Davis" - Click HERE to read the story.

SUBMITTED BY GARY SLIZESKI

My wife went to Emerson Junior High; the "old" Emerson, that concrete block building sprawling at the prime real estate location of 5th and B. That place has got to be at least 50 years old, I'm guessing. When the new Korematsu Elementary was sitting unused for a year, there was a proposal to move the district offices from the "Old Emerson". It is time to re-visit that idea. Here are some reasons why:

1) It is a lot less disruptive to the educational process to move the district administrative offices, than it is to lay off teachers and re-shuffle the rest among the remaining schools.

2) This idea will buy time for our district to see how the budget crisis plays out. It will also give our community time to step up with creative ideas to save what this well-educated community treasures, such as the music programs, and libraries with librarians.

3) Think in terms of abundance. We have unused and under-utilized resources. Re-establish a Best Use of Land and Facilities Task Force. The Grande Elementary site is like money in the bank, with no use for it in sight, to my knowledge. The Valley Oak site on 8th Street might be well suited as a new location for the District offices. I'm sure local developers could give an estimate of what the land at 5th and B might be worth. Sure seems like a prime location for re-development to me

4) Unlike at the elementary level, no one is claiming we have excess capacity at the Junior High level. All 3 junior highs are still teaching in portables. The reason Harper was built was to relieve crowding at the junior high level. So now it is a good idea to re-establish two 1,000 student junior highs only 2.2 miles apart from each other serving one side of town?

5) Much is made of the expense of modernizing Emerson. Emerson isn't falling down. An architect recently stated it looks structurally sound to him. We have been upgraded over the years. The gym has a beautiful new wood floor. The A/C system of self-contained units works much better than the original central air conditioning system. We just got new carpet, wall board, and paint. The school is quite attractive, with well-established gardens and landscape, and public art created over time.

6) Close the "new" Emerson, and you might as well re-name it the Westside Skateboarding and Climbing Structure. It will take a 24 hour guard to keep it from burning down or having kids falling off the roof.

7) With the construction down-turn, it will be less expensive to accomplish the minimum modernization our school deserves. I heard on the news that Modesto High School is just starting a $14 million modernization because the funds are available from a different part of the state budget. Why do we in Davis think we need to close a school instead? Hire some local contractors and "git 'er done".

8) I've been teaching at Emerson for nearly 20 years. I sense our school is performing at a higher level now than ever. We can't let a perceived "quick fix" to an uncertain budget situation destroy Emerson or the district-wide programs. You've got to look at our API scores, for example. Emerson accomplishes its mission on so many levels with a culture it has taken almost 30 years to develop. For example, what explains the highest test scores with some of our student population choosing to go elsewhere for self-contained GATE? Check out the quality of the Emerson art, athletics, drama, peer helping, band, leadership, recycling, school-wide discipline programs, and entire grade level field trips, among others. There are advantages to being a little smaller.

9) I've decided to support Jamie Boston's long walk. I realized all it would take is for my wife and me to give up the $3 nightly bottle of wine we share, for the approximately 122 days before the 2008-9 school year begins. That amounts to $366 (Leap Year). We will toast to the health and longevity of our Davis teachers, programs, and the "new" Emerson, with tea!

Gary Slizeski
Science Teacher
Emerson Junior High DJUSD

SUBMITTED BY CATHY SACKS

I met with Susan Lovenburg, our school board member, this morning about the closure of Emerson. I left there believing that if the Emerson faculty, parents, and students let the School Board know tonight that we prefer to stay at Emerson even if the facilities are not modernized or repaired in the near future, then they will be convinced to keep our school open another year at least. The School Board Members must know that we feel it is more important to stay together as a community in West Davis, even though the facility is not in the same state as Holmes and Harper. She seemed concerned that the parents and students feel that they are not treated equitably by the current physical state of Emerson. Several parents at the table tried to tell her that we would rather Emerson stay as it is than move to a newer, more modernized junior high on the far side of town. I would like to encourage all staff to stand together at the mic tonight and say that the facilities are not in bad enough condition to be the primary reason used to close the school.

I also learned there are more than 5 options that will be presented tonight. Try to access a copy of all the options. One is to bring DaVinci to Emerson.

SUBMITTED BY JACKIE RUTHEISER

Dear friends,

Please remember that our school board members do not like making these decisions and had no idea they would have to be in this position when they ran for office. They just thought they would be able to help make our schools better not worse when they chose to run for school board. They will have to make many unpopular, decisive and hurtful decisions and even though they chose to lead - they thought it would be fun to help make Davis schools better - not this mess they find themselves in.

Therefore, we need to make sure they understand that as a community, we will not let the Davis schools deteriorate just because the State is cutting our budget.

Now is the time to LEAD!! We need to let the school board know that the Davis community is totally committed to raising the 3 million by May 15th and each and every one of us who speaks needs to solidly pledge to support and volunteer in any way possible to pass a November ballot $200 parcel tax. Why? Because the school board members are afraid to ask for a parcel tax. Except for Richard Harris, I don't believe any of them has stepped up to the plate to lead on the revenue issue because they don't think it's their job! They see their job as just implementing the cuts (and of course, in order to avoid being taken over by the Yolo County Board of Education, they needed to propose those cuts).

However, if we let them know that we will support increasing revenues - it will give them the COURAGE and HOPE to pursue these options. And if they think that the community will support a long-term solution, they might be inclined to make decisions that do not hurt all of us longterm.

The school board isn't the problem - it's REVENUES!!

If the state legislature passes tax increases this fall and saves the schools, then GREAT! But that won't happen to save our situation now and more importantly, we just cannot rely on the State to make that happen because unlike 47 other states, California requires a 2/3rds vote to pass tax measures and state budgets and that will be very difficult.

If the State does pass a tax increase sometime this fall - GREAT AGAIN - more money for Davis. We still would get our fair share, regardless if we pass a parcel tax in November (we missed the deadline to get on the June ballot).

We cannot just ask, beg, demonstrate and plead our cases tonight - we must promote permanent solutions.

SUBMITTED BY KATHY KOBLIK

Letter to Board of Education and Superintendent:

Dear Fellow Davis Joint Unified Stakeholders,

Thank you for your care, time, energy, and stamina, taking leadership roles in these difficult times.

By now, you certainly have heard from various sources about drawbacks to the closure of Emerson. Perhaps you’ve logged more persuasive essay reading than I have! Programs on the chopping block are all valuable and you are juggling the needs of all the students in the District. I’m not going to reiterate Tim Fahlen’s letter or the PTA’s letter to you. I simply felt duty bound to make a reminder.

Although severe cuts will cost us talented, dedicated, energetic, visionary young teachers – and I join you in mourning this – two of the cuts will most certainly have permanent effects and so I ask you to think especially hard about those cuts. Before we commit to permanent cuts, let’s make sure that the budget is that dire.

One of these cuts is Emerson. Once this decision is made, undoing the decision would be costly and difficult. From the District Offices scenarios, it looks like a secondary school reorganization is being suggested. This is a large task to accomplish well in a short amount of time. The other permanent decision is to forgo the State money that is offered for ninth grade reduction. I understand that once we pass these funds up, we cannot get them back (my information comes from what I feel is a reliable source, but I’m not conversant personally with this funding source law). Although I might not argue that in budget crunch times a 20 to 1 ratio for ninth grade students in these core subjects is a necessity, it is certainly a wonderful program that offers advantages to students. We get three teachers for the price of one with this program (since the State funds 2/3 of reduction), so that seems to maximize our money.

My nightmare (and probably yours too) is that five years down the road we will be saying: “Why on earth did we do that?”

Best wishes for the wisdom and stamina to do this job – and I also hope that you all have some joy, peace, and even frivolity in your life during this challenging Spring.

Sincerely,

Kathy Koblik
English Teacher
Emerson Junior High School

SUBMITTED BY KELLY WILKERSON

First, raise $3 million through the Foundation to get through this next year; then, try to get a parcel tax on the ballot in November for a long term solution. The important thing is to save programs in the short term. If we fire all of our elementary and junior high librarians...all of that institutional knowledge will be lost. So, even if we do hire more librarians a year later, our libraries will take many years to recover. Firing 14 secondary English teacher means no more class size reduction in 9th and 10th grade English. And, as I understand state rules, once we stop offering class size reduction, we cannot get it back. So, that means FOREVER losing smaller class sizes in those grades (the state picks up 2/3 of the cost). Of course, I'm biased because I'm an English teacher...but it seems pretty important to me to know that something we are doing in the short term could have far-ranging consequences for generations of Davis children.

Ummmm....just like closing Emerson.

SUBMITTED BY KATIE HORN

Word has it there are 2 more options being added to the current 5. Both close Emerson and make the HS 9-12. So we now have 6 of 7 closing Emerson, and 5 of 7 turning the HS to a 9-12. I can see where this is headed.....

To make any headway with the board we will need facts/numbers. Folks planning to speak at the board meeting tonight might consider the following topics: (If you see an area that you might be able to tackle, please jump in!)

No one is yet clear on the REAL cost to fix these big problems at Emerson. Any way to find out what that is and share that with the board convincingly?

What are the big facilities problems vs. the small ones that can wait at Emerson?

Maybe pictures and costs spent on recent upgrades of the gym floors, carpets etc. to counter the devistating pictures the board has to review currently.

The REAL savings are still also unclear. $566,000 saved if this facility is closed, but actual savings will vary based on which option is chosen - more security needed for the extra HS kids if that goes 9-12, extra Vice Principals or some other staff depending on where the kids go.... The superintendent couldn't give an actual figure to the board member until he knew what staffing would be requested as a result of the changes.....but it seemed likely that it would be something less than the $566,000.

Once we know the real cost it will come down to programs vs. facility. I think it may be easier to rebuild programs that have taken a hiatus for a year or 2, but very unlikely to reopen a school once it is closed. Let the board know where your preference lies.

The board seems worried about closing the school and angering 1/2 of Davis (the 1/3 that are Emerson folks, and the 1/2 of Holmes that also got moved...) and then having proposed bond measures fail in Nov. If a school or programs have been spared for one year pending the passing of a tax, I think folks will feel more compelled to vote in favor of that tax knowing those things WILL be lost if the tax doesn't pass. If those things have already been taken from us, then it may be quite a bit harder to pass something. It may be helpful to remind the board of this :)

Isn't there also a legal mandate for the district to bus our children if they are being sent to schools outside of the attendance zones though no fault of their own? This, I'm sure, would be extremely costly and should be part of the equation....

Reminding the board of how much we still need to know, and urging them not to vote may be our biggest success right now.

SUBMITTED BY ROBERT SHUMWAY

Response to Superintendent's Message of March 19:

Dr Hammond,

I find your message condescending and once again short-sighted in our overall goal....the education of our children.

You state..."Your participation during board meetings on the 2008-2009 budget and ongoing input in the midst of this budget crisis has been vital." Has been? You mean "will be", right? There hasn't been any ongoing discussion. We just found out about the possibility of an Emerson closure. What we would like is an ongoing discussion to actually consider options and alternatives, and not just a "Thank you for speaking and sending your emails, but we've already made our decision and we don't really care what anybody thinks."

You go on to say "As the board continues to cope with the many important fiscal issues our district is facing, it is paramount that district staff and the trustees are provided ample time to discuss these matters during a reasonable hour. We simply cannot make crucial decisions well after midnight." Are you kidding me!!! If you have to stay up all night working on a solution, you must!! Our kids spend more time finishing school projects and book reports than you are allowing for discussion on the future of education in this town. This is a study session for a final exam, put some effort into it. Everyone who shows up and wants to speak should be heard. If that takes all night, then bring some coffee, but we will be heard. 45 mins? Our rally lasted longer. KCRA Channel 3 listened longer to parents and children than you are giving us at the meeting. I urge the Board President to allow flexibility in the time for all to be heard and not outline "new parameters" as you have noted.

Finally, you ask for our "support as we continue to navigate through the challenges of our state's budget. The fine community volunteers that make up our school board have a vested and strong interest in making the best decisions possible as we strive to keep our district solvent." You support us first!! Give us a reason to support you. Be creative and think outside the box. A solution exists that does not include closing Emerson or any School, you just haven't found it. If the you and the Board listened with an open mind, you would hear those suggestions. You work for us. The Board works for and represents us.

When, we the people, feel we aren't being represented properly and being managed competently, we can replace the Board and a new Board can replace you. Now get to work!!!

Robert Shumway