Closing Woodruff will not fix District 150
I loathe special pleading.
You see it all the time in the creation of public policy.
Politicians from corn states think ethanol is the sure for the energy shortage.
Voters hate and detest pork, but want their Congressman to bring home the bacon.
That short of thing.
I hate it too. But I try to not be a hypocrite.
This is why you didn’t see a lot of posts on this blog about the decision to close a high school. And this is why you didn’t see me beg for Woodruff’s life, as much as I wanted to.
Here’s a thought experiment. Say I wasn’t a native of Peoria and I moved here and started a blog about local politics and news. What would I make of Peoria School District 150?
I’d note that most people who have an option choose to not send their kids here.
I’d note that a lot of people are leaving Peoria in general, for reasons that include, but are not limited to the school district.
Those who live in Peoria and can afford it send their kids to private schools.
Right or wrong, many people think District 150 does not provide a great education and that many of its schools are unsafe. Of course, I also know people who love their kids’ District 150 schools. Love the teachers, love the principal. And then there are most people who say they would never send their kids to any D150 school. I’ll resort to cliche here: Where there is smoke, there is fire. That so many people have this bad opinion has to mean there are problems. Many of the people I talk to cite incidents THEY had with bad teaching, bad leadership and utter lack of consideration for discipline and respect for teachers that went unpunished.
So, perceptions differ. But this perception is something that the district HAS to confront.
But it hasn’t. And THIS, readers, is why the district has too many schools for the number of students being served. Sure, people people are leaving Peoria for reasons unrelated to the school. But MOST of the enrollment decline is due to things within the district’s control, or at least, due to things the district failed to address.
Last night, the Peoria School District 150 Board of Education had to deal with the economic and enrollment facts that were on the table.
They did not have the option of voting to go back in time and fix the massive enrollment drop by creating an environment in which encourages respect for teachers and students.
They didn’t have the option of voting to go back in time and reversing every bad decision by a principal or administrator to pass a kid who clearly didn’t deserve it.
They didn’t have the option of voting to go back in time and NOT disrespect parent groups by, for example, taking donations made by parents at one school and moving them to a different school deemed to be more worthy of the gift. Things like that sends families to Dunlap and Germantown Hills.
They didn’t have the option of voting to go back in time and voting to install metal detectors. They didn’t have the option of going back in time and work with police and prosecutors to keep better track of the recently released convicted criminals who attend schools like nothing happened.
They don’t have the option TODAY of going back in time and and NOT hiring Ken Hinton, whose lack of proper academic credentials required by state law for school superintendents forced the district to hire TWO NEW administrators.
The school board did not have the option of voting to go back in time to NOT let Hinton buy a bunch of homes on Prospect Road — an act he did without any record of the school board voting him permission to do so.
They did not have the option of voting to go back in time and decide against hiring Edison Schools, a huge waste of money and a drain on resources.
Yes, I know many of these problems — Edison, excessive administration and lack of security — are all issues that still have not been addressed and SHOULD have been addressed before any vote to close a high school took place.
But the grim reality is that the district still would have a huge structural debt that needs to be addressed. And because Peoria is run by the people who run the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce, there was no way new tax revenue would come in. These people only believe in raising taxes when it benefits Caterpillar.
And even if the school board voted to fire Edison, fire half the administrators and expel every student with so much as a misdemeanor conviction, the district would still be facing a massive structural deficit.
So they closed a school. They think they will save money my having larger class sizes and by not having to operate a fourth high school school building.
So the choice before them Monday was one of which school.
I read Laura Petelle’s long post about why she was voting to close Woodruff. Her facts and numbers made sense.
In the end I decided that if I were an outsider coming into Peoria, I would conclude that closing a high school was the obvious choice to make. And I could not come up with one single reason why it should be Central instead of Woodruff. Other than the fact that I love Woodruff High School. But that would be special pleading.
Oh, make no mistake. I am as mad as hell.
Many of the people who made these mistakes that put District 150 in this position are still on the board and still have jobs in the district. One of the ones who got out before the collapse serves in Congress.
The fact remains: This district is poorly run. Decisions are made that are NOT in the interests of students or parents. Money is thrown down the rat hole that is excessive administrator salaries and positions.
And and here is a clue for the school board: You are NEVER going to get teachers to agree to a pay cut while there is so much lard at the administrative level. You cannot fool teachers. They have to wallow in the mess you people have made and they don’t trust you. Why SHOULD they take a pay cut when their bosses act like robber barons?
I am convinced more than ever there needs to be some sort of city or state takeover of District 150. They cannot botch it up any more than it already is.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
“Those who live in Peoria and can afford it send their kids to private schools.”
Let me point out…. money isn’t the issue for these people or those fleeing to more expensive neighborhoods in the burbs (higher taxes). Clearly those sending their kids to private schools are WILLING TO PAY MORE to send their kids to what they feel are incrementally better schools. Not only are these folks paying for the private schools, they are still paying the District 150 property taxes too.
There is research out there (sorry I long lost the source) that shows that when the public schools are ran well, parents tend to not send their kids to private schools. It really is about quality of education…. the ‘faith’ connections as most of these private schools are church affiliated, are secondary, tertiary or even non existent in the decisions of the parents.
So… I guess where I am leading is that if you can fix the administration…. you could get away with raising taxes to pay for the shortfalls. Closing schools doesn’t seem like the solution that is needed. You are not fixing the administration or the culture that exists.
Well said, Bill. But I believe the board should have tabled the vote and looked at other alternatives before closing a high school. Many were suggested during the public comments.
Closing a high school is a huge black mark on Peoria and D150, it further destroys inner city neighborhoods, robs the city of traditions which hold it together, and will doom test scores for years because of the disruption.
Oh well, probably there are insiders who stand to profit from whatever happens, especially that proposed charter school. Retirees with nice pensions will continue the D150 tradition of getting huge sums to do the work. How do you spell G-R-E-E-D!
Stay alert!
Mahkno said “So… I guess where I am leading is that if you can fix the administration…. you could get away with raising taxes to pay for the shortfalls. Closing schools doesn’t seem like the solution that is needed. You are not fixing the administration or the culture that exists.”
I totally agree with this. It all starts by getting rid of Hinton who has established this current culture.
Other school closings most likely will follow. There are options for the District. Be watching as the HS re-districting plans come about. Read between those lines.
One of your best postings ever, Bill.
This is also why our city is in the shape is it in. The sooner the powers that be realize that museums, ballparks and hotels aren’t what attract and keep families, the better off the city will be.
Schools and crime. That’s what matters. Always has and always will.
The problem with District 150 is the PARENTS. Not the schools. Not the board. Not the teachers. It’s the JUNK PARENTS. JUNK JUNK JUNK PARENTS. Junky parents raise junky students. 75-80% of the kids at Woodruff and Central aren’t stupid. They have bad parents and will in turn become bad parents.
Chris Rock hit this on the head: “If a kid can’t read… that’s the momma’s fault. If the kid can’t read because there’s no lights on in the house… that’s the daddy’s fault.”
Outstanding post, Billy! One of your best.
There is no “huge structural deficit”. The deficit in the operating fund is what matters most. That amount was $1.4MM this year. That amount included a 9.2% increase in salaries and benefits for operations and maintenance workers. That amount includes the administration, which is much higher than the state average and the district’s peers. I met with Petelle and Schau last week and confirmed the $8MM was not a structural deficit.
Yes, the district has financial problems, but the sense of financial urgency was also, in my opinion, to defend the administration/board’s decision to close a school WITHOUT planning. Close it NOW, to get access to the PBC bonds which do not require voter approval.
Hinton talked about the school losing revenue sources. However, the current budget has a 4.4% increase in operating funds than the prior year’s budget.
Does anyone know what 150 spends per week to educate a middle school student?
Laura? Do you have this data??
Vonster – I imagine you’re going to compare this to babysitting or something (probably vouchers), but I’d say the average cost is $220/week. Here’s how:
$11,383 is the average annual operating expenditure per student for the entire district from the most recent report card. That data isn’t broken down by the various grade levels and/or specific buildings. So, just assume it to be the average for any/all students. Divide that by 52 – yes, the cost to run a school goes year round, it includes summer school and building operations, etc. You get about $220/week.
No, divide that by nothing. PCS educates superior students for $100 per week. If 150 can’t do that then they should resign and turn over 150 to PCS management with the proviso of no religious teaching.
Brilliant, vonster. Funny, though, the Reid Group Report prepared for PND two years ago said the cost at that time was $6,700 per year per student. (about $130/week – perhaps you didn’t know that tuition only makes up about 60% of the cost at Peoria Catholic Schools) Of course, as a private school, PND can turn away the various specialized education students who generally have much greater needs and expense. I’m sure they operate on that budget with 70% low income students, who again generally have greater needs and expense. Oh, and I’m sure all those Catholic school teachers will take the same lower pay to teach in the more trying conditions your plan would entail. But, hey, that’s otherwise a terrific idea.
PCS = Peoria Christian School.
OH, well then everything is COMPLETELY different, of course.
Why so acidic? Different economics maybe.
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