Enrollment Decline Puts Presure On Board For Fewer Buildings

Editorial

By Jon A. Brake

It happened again...

For the eight time in eight years the Manhattan School District has lost students. For the first time in eight years the Board of Education appears to be ready to do something. The change in the Board has helped. The old board told the citizens in 1993-94 that we need three new buildings because the district would continue to grow.

That did not happen and the School District and School Board knew it would not. The District had two future enrollment figures. One showed the District would continue to grow from 6,748 to more than 7,900 by the year 2000. The second projection said the enrollment would stay the same. The Board used the first set of figures to sell the $25 million building project. Now the new Board must cut two building.

Last year the Board told the public they would have to cut spending because enrollment was down and the State would cut funding. The District formed 20 plus committees to find ways to cut expenses but did not open all areas to the committees. In the end the Board approved a larger Budget than the year before.

Don't hold more meetings, make the decision!