3-12-2001

Duluth School Board Members,

This note is to offer support for the proposal to close schools and redraw district boundaries. Please know that not everyone in the Duluth school district stands in opposition to the plan.

It's true that my children will not be directly affected by the change, and in that sense it is easy for my wife and I to speak in support, since we have been more than pleased with Central in the five years we have had children there. 

Nevertheless, I believe the plan simply makes good sense economically and programmatically. The elimination of the hodge-podge of school grade configurations and boundaries now in place and the creation of a strict school feeder system stand to streamline the operation of the school district. In the long run, it will also improve the sense of community around those schools as children stay together throughout their school years. Undoubtedly the plan has room for tweaking, as all such plans do. Yet even without the constraints of the proposed state budget and the financial impact of declining enrollment, I believe something similar to this basic plan is necessary.

I understand, as well, the pressure to make a decision quickly and not delay as the most vocal opposition groups are asking. They do not understand the lead time required to implement changes so drastic as those proposed. If the cuts required to meet budget projections are to be effective, there isn't time to delay without creating costly mistakes and causing greater personal strain on individual employees impacted by the cuts.
I'm certain that these times can be personally troubling, and I offer my support and encouragement to you as you attempt to make difficult and sometimes painful decisions. I would also encourage you to persevere and to keep the difficulty in perspective. Kids are tough. Despite what many parents seem to think, no child will suffer irreparable hurt by attending East instead of Central or vice versa. 

Sincerely,