Northside Planning Council Referenda Forum

Lee Sensenbrenner summarizes Thursday night's Madison Schools Referenda Forum:

Northside Planning Council's moderator, Vernon Blackwell, asked if further cuts were required, should the district commit to keeping small class sizes at schools with the greatest need even if it meant raising class sizes at schools with lower poverty levels.

Robarts and Kobza said yes, as did board member Carol Carstensen, but she started to say "Of course I'll do it --" before Blackwell said: "That's a yes."

Brant, Keys, board member Johnny Winston Jr. and Madison Cares leader Arlene Silveira said no. Rainwater said it wasn't his decision and stuck to that as Blackwell told him that "You can't abstain."

During the audience comments, Dorothy Borchardt said that she was dismayed that Rainwater wouldn't answer the question and said that it was no defense to say it was up to the board to decide. "The School Board is your rubber stamp," she said.

Apart from the referendums, the district's leaders were also challenged on why a $2 million federal reading program grant was declined and how they would handle class sizes if resources continued to dwindle.

Rainwater said that taking the money would have meant eventually teaching an unproven curriculum to all students at all schools and would have meant losing a program the administration believes is working.

But before he said that, Carstensen tried to explain it in the context of breakfast cereal.

"Let's say you're on a tight budget and someone is willing to give you $50 per month for food," Carstensen said. "But it can only be spent on Fruit Loops. Would you take it."

Several people in the back whispered: "Of course!"

Posted by Jim Zellmer at May 21, 2005 8:41 PM
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