|
|
by
Anthony Amato |
July
11, 2007 |
Neighborhood
Schools for Everyone
District's 2007-2008 $357 million budget anticipates
savings from unnecessary bussing
For more
than 20 years, students in the Kansas City, Missouri School
District have been bussed to schools, sometimes quite a distance
from their homes. My new reorganization plan and budget will
provide a better way.
Within three years, the new reorganization plan adopted in April
will have students attending neighborhood schools. The continued
move to neighborhood schools will in turn save the District
about $4 million in transportation costs. Savings realized here
will be used to improve student academic achievement. The new
budget reflects an $18 million decrease from the previous year's
budget and provides an estimated $6 million in reserves.
As has been reported widely throughout a majority of media outlets,
this plan calls for the elimination of all middle schools, except
for the Kansas City School of the Arts Middle School and Lincoln
College Prep Middle School. The District will go to a Pre-K
through eighth grade format. Students will return to their neighborhood
schools based on their residential addresses, rather than being
bussed to schools outside of their residential boundaries. By
2009, all schools in the Kansas City, Missouri School District
will become Pre-K through eighth grade neighborhood schools
and neighborhood high schools.
Additionally, we’ll be continuing with our Schools of
Choice plan at the following schools: Foreign Language Academy,
Longan French Academy, Lincoln College Prep Middle and High
schools, Kansas City School of the Arts Middle School, and Paseo
Fine Arts High School. I’m also very excited about the
expansion of our Montessori programs and the creation of a Montessori
Lab School.
Earning the public trust is vital in our ability to move forward
and provide students a solid foundation. This is a defining
moment for Kansas City.”
Amato’s
Corner is a biweekly feature in The Northeast News by Superintendent
Anthony Amato, with insightful information and analysis of education
trends and new programs in the Kansas City, Mo. School District.
We want your feedback. Please feel free to contact our public
information professionals with any questions regarding Kansas
City, Mo. schools and our ongoing endeavor to provide students
the highest quality education possible.
