Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Long Story Short
by Ralph Routon
It's been a busy month for Colorado Springs School District 11's board of education. Perhaps too busy.
The board's four men and three women have spent many hours learning the facts, hearing public responses and preparing to make the final decision on D-11's controversial "utilization study."
For those who don't know, that's the politically correct, yet still confusing, description of a process to decide on closing schools and making the most of shrinking revenues and enrollment in the city's largest school district.
As if that weren't enough, while moving toward a scheduled Feb. 25 vote that could shutter seven elementaries and one middle school, the board has been wrapping up its search for a new superintendent to replace the retiring Terry Bishop.
So much happening at once, which means lots of misconceptions and unanswered questions. To alleviate that, J. Adrian Stanley's cover package analyzes the good and not so good of D-11's reorganizing process, and also introduces us to superintendent finalist Nicholas Gledich. In addition, in Between the Lines, you'll find my take on whether D-11 is making the right hire.
Heavy stuff. But for anyone who cares about public education in Colorado Springs, these are heavy times.
