PPS is Once Again Responsible for Declining Enrollment at Selected Schools
This year’s incoming Freshman class at Marshall would have been its largest in years but then Carole Smith got involved.
Prior to board approval of Smith’s recommendations for high schools, Smith announced that Marshall wouldn’t be taking incoming freshman. Parents of those students were sent letters saying that their kidswould be going to the recommended feeder schools. The counselors from the new feeder schools then forecasted Marshall freshmen.
A few weeks later, Smith announced that Marshall would be taking incoming freshmen but Marshall students still wishing to attend their new feeder schools could do that. Kids were then re-forecasted for the fall.
In a period of about a month, Marshall went from it’s largest incoming freshmen class in years to no incoming freshmen and now they’re at about half of where they started before Smith’s involvement.
Do board members pay any attention to this? Every time the school closure issue comes up the superintendent and board members blame the schools for declining enrollment. I’m sure that’s much more comfortable for them than accepting responsibility for their own actions.
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The difference is board members don’t get involved in neighborhoods outside of the big 4. If it involves Cleveland, Grant, Wilson or Lincoln (or their feeders) then the board involves themselves. Otherwise, the administration is pretty much given a free hand. One of the things that I maintain has been lacking has been any board resolutions to make the district better. There have been almost none. They are in fact citizen legislators, but they are acting more like a corporate board who takes a hands off position. As I said when I ran for school board, Trudy has not brought one resolution to the board in the five or so years she has been on it. And where is Martin Gonzalez on the education improvements for the Latino community?? NOTHING!!! I had a plan at least to address the many problems. It is truly pretty poor government. So maybe the board members pay attention, but they take no action. Pretty sad.
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