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Wednesday December 03, 2003
Oh. My. God.
And I don't use that title loosely, since I'm atheist! We all went into the board meeting tonight not expecting much. We expected pretty much either a "we accept Mountain Pointe's Proposal" or "we deny Mountain Pointe's Proposal and leave PPA alone" decision. How ever, by some amazing realization by the board, we got about 1000000X more than we could have ever hoped for.
The main point that drove the board to their decision was money, as always. As part of the Mountain Pointe Proposal, the board would have to provide $50,000 to them to "impliment the program." In a way, they were digging their own graves. The board began to realize that the cost, as well as the unfairness of the moving was far greater than expected. For example, there would be a startup cost at Mountain Pointe. The location would turn PPA into a program FOR MTP KIDS, not for district kids. They also realized that that $50,000 needed to startup PPA at MTP was just about what was cut from our budget last year. So, doesn't it make sense to give that back to us?
The parent's speeches only helped this idea. They pointed out that giving Mountain Pointe the money would only "reward" them for all the anamosity they gave us last year. They also pointed out that all the problems this year, and even the proposal itself, was based on the lack of funds. If fund the Academy for the move and new startup costs, why not fund it as it is in its current place?
That's exactly what they did. The decision was unanimous, 5 to 0. They gave us a 4 year commitment, wherein we CANNOT BE TOUCHED as well as all the funding necessary to impliment the resources and teachers required to make PPA a success. They also gave us a four year plan to be developed, that would measure our progress as a success or a failure at the end of thsoe four years.
Suffice to say, the students are estatic. I have NEVER been this happy in my life. Someone wasn't happy though ;) Superintendent Buchanan was bitter. Even up until the vote itself, he kept on trying to sway the board to kill PPA. Dammit, I hate that guy so much. You know what his final arguement was? "Gifted students in the district only bring in $16,000/year out of our (huge number in the billions) budget. If you vote to budget PPA as it needs, you realize you're cutting into other funds, right?" The reply from Perkins, the world's best Board Member EVER, was, "Well, if we move it, the money needed would come from other funds anyway. As the gifted program is currently funded, it's coming from other funds anyway, right?" Buchanan grudgingly admitted affermative, and the board had all it needed to vote yes.
Part of the vote is also to start sharing PPA curriculum throughout the district so that PPA would evolve into a "school at six different sites" naturally, instead of imposing that role on it through a vote. That, I admit, is one of the wisest choices the board has ever made. Most of the animosity stems from our "elitism" with not sharing our resources. Now we can, and will.
I am so happy right now. Wow.....
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