Keeping East Flora open is a bad idea until a majority of parents prove they care.

BY: B. Keith Plunkett

The Madison County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of a resolution asking Madison County Superintendent Mike Kent to find a way to keep East Flora Middle School open following a special meeting on the subject on Friday January 28.

"The school is inefficient because of its economy of scale," Kent said, adding that the cost to educate a student there is $14,000 compared to $7,700 in the rest of the district.

In a Madison County Herald report today, District 4 Supervisor Karl Banks suggested the district redraw lines to force kids from Madison Middle School--rated a top rated Star School--into the Flora District as a way of increasing attendance. The East Flora Middle School is currently rated as "academic watch".  Banks suggested that, despite the fact that the Madison County taxpayers are spending almost double the average cost per student at East Flora, that the school is being "penalized." But, he obviously had no problem "penalizing" students from Madison Middle School.

"If you changed the attendance zone, student cost wouldn't be the issue. Fourteen thousand dollars is not the issue," said Banks, who represents the Flora area. "If you're going to penalize (East Flora Middle) because of the costs, you can solve that with the stroke of a pen - bring in more children."

"Maybe if the lines were drawn better, we could have two Star Schools," Banks said.

But, will bringing kids in whose parents care more about their kids education, into a school that's parental involvement is among the lowest in the district help students, or hinder overall achievment? And is that an experiment the School District wants to conduct on it children? Furthermore, how many of the Madison Middle School students who would be drawn into the Flora District will withdraw from public schools and enter the private school system?

My guess is: most of them, leaving the school district and East Flora Middle School with the same problems--lower achievement, a majority of parents who care more about their own convenience than they do about their kids education, and an extremely ineffecient school.

Supervisor Paul Griffin's suggestion was predictable: raise taxes.

Supervisor Paul Griffin said the school district could consider doing what the county did a few years ago to provide for needed funds - increase the millage rate.

"If the Board of Education wants to provide good schools and keep them going, they may have to bite the bullet and raise taxes," Griffin said.

Griffin made a similar suggestion weeks ago in order fund the construction of emergency sirens in his district.

The attraction to economic development is a wonderful argument on it's face. Having a school in town is a much bigger draw to industry looking to relocate. But, like the redistricting argument, it doesn't hold water, either. Once industry recognizes the school is in serious trouble, it may as well not exist.

If parents of students don't care about the school, why should the Madison County taxpayer.