I agree that they are going to lose a lot of kids, probably more than they are expecting. Charters will pop up right next to the closed schools on the east side and take a bunch of students. Seems like a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation because keeping them all open will lead to financial ruin.
As far as the BW costs, tell me how option A below is going to save the district money compared to option B.
A: keep the school open and spend 6.1 million to renovate the school. Retain more students in the district of the 250ish neighborhood kids that go there.
B: close the school and don’t spend the 6.1 million renovation costs. Fold the kids into Casis and Brentwood. No longer pay for principal, assistant principal, counselor, admin assistant, music teacher, art teacher, PE teacher, custodians, etc. Also don’t pay for utilities, groundskeeping, and other building maintenance. Possibly sell the building and property for a pretty penny.
You will lose some kids to private school and the funding that goes with them and you may pay slightly higher bussing costs. But from a purely fiscal standpoint, I don’t get the BW parents argument that keeping the school open will save money.