Many worry of fairness of closures
Dayton school officials: 8 buildings, all in West Dayton, below 50% full.
A task force studying possible closure of Dayton Public Schools facilities will meet publicly for the first time this morning, just 36 hours after residents voiced concerns about the fairness and fallout of any school closures.
DPS officials say eight school buildings, all in West Dayton, are less than 50 percent full, creating financial and educational inefficiencies. Acting Superintendent Elizabeth Lolli says Dayton needs to “right-size” its operations, including other unused property that it owns.
In December, Lolli said the district might close “more than or less than” three of its 28 schools next fall. Since then, Lolli has repeatedly said that no decisions have been made at this point — that the 16-member task force will study all of DPS’ facilities and enrollment and submit recommendations by April 2 to the school board, which will make final decisions.
The eight lowest-enrolled schools, according to DPS officials, are Wogaman (28 percent capacity), Boys Prep (29), Rosa Parks (32), EJ Brown (36), Meadowdale Elementary (37), Meadow- dale High (43), World of Wonder (46) and Westwood (48).
Associate Superintendent Shelia Burton said there are other issues to consider as well, such as $2 million in deferred maintenance at Valerie Elementary and the inefficient use of the Jackson Center site for the district’s Innovative Learning Center.
The task force was origi- nally going to hold all meetings in private. The Dayton Daily News challenged that approach, citing Ohio law and past court decisions. Today’s meeting, at 10:30 a.m. at Dayton Public Schools headquarters, 115 S. Ludlow St., is open to the public but won’t allow public comment. Those meetings will come later.
Residents speak out
More than 100 people participated in an NAACP-hosted town hall about the school issue Monday at Dayton Boys Prep, one of the at-risk schools.
Many residents sought better communication and context from DPS officials, both on the reasons for low enrollment and the decision-making process the district will use.
Others said it would be unfair if only West Dayton schools were closed, as many students are currently bused across the city. And some asked why the district built so many schools at all last decade, given declining enrollment.
“We overbuilt and we were sold on the idea that it was best for our community, that it was going to create jobs and change our children’s lives. None of that came to fruition,” said Mark Donelson. “It’s not all racial; it’s about business, it’s about participation. Now we’re going to have to swallow this real hard pill of consolidation, but I think it should be around the whole city.”
One group said it made sense that West Dayton enrollment had dropped, because jobs, stores and opportunity had left the community, driving popu- lation down. Former school board member Clayton Luckie said the top reason students leave Dayton Public Schools is safety, suggesting that if the problem was solved, enough students would stay and would return from charter schools that DPS wouldn’t need to close buildings.
Taking next steps
Dayton Unit NAACP President Derrick Foward said his group will consolidate the concerns people voiced, will post them on the NAACP website, and will make sure the task force studying school closures has the community’s input and not just business leaders’ input.
Jocelyn Rhynard was the only school board member who attended the town hall. She did not comment to the media, but made a short statement to the crowd.
“I want you to know how grateful I am to see this room of a maz i ng people who want nothing more than to see their children and their city succeed,” Rhynard said. School district officials have said that operating many low-enrollment schools costs more in utilities, maintenance and other expenses. Dayton also has trouble filling all of its teaching jobs, leading to use of more subs. Consolidating schools could reduce the number of subs needed.
On Thursday, the Racial Justice Now group will hold its own meeting for parents on the subject of potential school closures, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Body of Christ Deliverance Center, 2345 Catalpa Drive. State school board member Charlotte McGuire will be in attendance.