Friday, May 27, 2005
Help Save Donner Trail School!
UPDATE (6/2): The school board voted Wednesday night to postpone the decision on closing Donner Trail! The school will remain open for another year to give the community and school board a chance to explore alternate funding and potential facility enhancements which could raise the student to teacher ratio to be inline with other TTUSD schools. Many thanks to everyone who helped with the effort to save Donner Trail!
The superintendent of Tahoe Truckee Unified School district is recommending the closure of your neighborhood school. The TTUSD Board of Trustees will be voting next Wednesday, June 1st. Please write emails in support of our school to each board member (see the links below) and please show your support by attending the board meeting at the Truckee Elementary School at 5pm on Wednesday, June 1st.
The Donner Trail School, located on old Hwy 40 near Kingvale is the standout school in the district and the only school dedicated to serving the summit. The superintendent is recommending "relocating" (ie. closing and forcing the students to be bussed) the students to Glenshire. Imagine the bus ride during the winter! Mr. Williams is making this single recommendation over and above the recommendations of the Budget Review Committee. The BRC exceeded the budgetary goals set by Mr. Williams and recommended keeping Donner Trail open.
It is critical that we contact the Board and inform them of our passion for our local school. Let them know that this decision is based on a flawed process. They did not seek community input nor contact any local organizations or consider the impact on local businesses and property values. Request a postponement to the decision until next year so that a proper evaluation of the budgetary issues and regional effects can be performed.
Here is the school's response to the district that will be distributed at the Board Meeting on June 1. It lists the possible costs or need for reallocations. Below are links to email the board member as well as their phone numbers. It is critical that we let them know the value of our school.
The superintendent of Tahoe Truckee Unified School district is recommending the closure of your neighborhood school. The TTUSD Board of Trustees will be voting next Wednesday, June 1st. Please write emails in support of our school to each board member (see the links below) and please show your support by attending the board meeting at the Truckee Elementary School at 5pm on Wednesday, June 1st.
The Donner Trail School, located on old Hwy 40 near Kingvale is the standout school in the district and the only school dedicated to serving the summit. The superintendent is recommending "relocating" (ie. closing and forcing the students to be bussed) the students to Glenshire. Imagine the bus ride during the winter! Mr. Williams is making this single recommendation over and above the recommendations of the Budget Review Committee. The BRC exceeded the budgetary goals set by Mr. Williams and recommended keeping Donner Trail open.
It is critical that we contact the Board and inform them of our passion for our local school. Let them know that this decision is based on a flawed process. They did not seek community input nor contact any local organizations or consider the impact on local businesses and property values. Request a postponement to the decision until next year so that a proper evaluation of the budgetary issues and regional effects can be performed.
Here is the school's response to the district that will be distributed at the Board Meeting on June 1. It lists the possible costs or need for reallocations. Below are links to email the board member as well as their phone numbers. It is critical that we let them know the value of our school.
Board Member Email Phone Kristy Olk 546-2927 Monty Folsom 582-8968 Patricia Gibbon-Johnson 582-5301 Mel Cone 587-7532 Cindy Gustafson 583-9317
# posted by Daniel Wexler @ 7:26 AM 
