The sudden directive by Sacramento City Unified School District that California Montessori Project must abandon the Old Marshall Elementary School has done more than disrupt the lives of the students, parents and faculty. It has the potential to strike a major blow to the renaissance of the central city. One of the primary reasons families choose where they live is what schools are available. CMP had operated successfully out of the Pioneer Church for eight years. The site did limit the size o... BillBurgua Susie Shields comment-16886 2009-11-01T01:04:17Z 2009-11-01T01:04:17Z look up prop 39. If CMP put in a prop 39 request to the district for facilities, they have to be treated like regular public school students. If reg. public students can't utilitze the Old Marshall facility, then neither can the charter students. The district was so desperate to fill up the Sac High campus, they moved the adult ed from Old Marshall to Sac High. The problem is, adult ed doesn't have the same facility restrictions that school children have. They should have stayed there at Old Marshall. The district moved them, then rented the facility to a children's school. It appears that the district staff made a mistake. I'm sure heads will roll if they haven't already. Susie Shields 2009-11-01T01:04:17Z savemidtown comment-16779 2009-10-30T02:46:01Z 2009-10-30T02:46:01Z It is this same complete incompetence and mismanagement that lost them Sac High to St. Hope. I suspect it's much more sinister - like an offer for the land from a developer. Seriously what else could it be because there is no other plausible explanation other than they got a better offer. savemidtown 2009-10-30T02:46:01Z Bill Burgua comment-16724 2009-10-29T21:23:43Z 2009-10-29T21:23:43Z I choose number 7! Bill Burgua 2009-10-29T21:23:43Z Dale Kooyman comment-16704 2009-10-29T19:32:44Z 2009-10-29T19:32:44Z Great article Bill! As usual, SCUSD is behind the curve on urban development and knowledge of such trends which is inexcusable as an "educational" institution. The administrative staff and Board should be informed about these trends and realities, but they are not because they are too narrowly focused. They haven't a clue as to what is going on outside their world--in this case not even inside. It's the usual arrogance and ignorance combined. The midtown neighborhoods are the most diverse in income levels and ethnic composition in the entire city--not to mention walkable and historically rich. Since it is now known that safety is not the main issue, what better place for a school to be located for students to learn and experience the benefits of a mixed population and local history? SCUSD is shooting itself in the foot on this one. How do they expect taxpayers to vote for school bonds under such poor cost management? They should rescind their decision. Dale Kooyman 2009-10-29T19:32:44Z Mark Urquhart comment-16703 2009-10-29T19:28:07Z 2009-10-29T19:28:07Z Possible options for the 'Old Marshall School'. * Do nothing with it and hope it falls down in the next 'big one'. * Lease/sell it to an expensive type private school for $$$ * Tear it down and leave a nice large lot for yet another huge expensive medical building. * Sell to a developer $$$ to tear it down and make high density residential. * Winter living quarters for the homeless? * Just leave it there and hope that some adult education can use it (not school age children, obviously). * Fix it up and make it a shining example of revitalization of historic midtown infill. * accidentally leave a large pile of chemical-soaked rags in a central location and hope for spontaneous combustion. * Get someone in Langley to enter the co-ordinates into a drone in Afghanistan and hope the missiles will reach. any more suggestions? Mark Urquhart 2009-10-29T19:28:07Z Bill Burgua comment-16700 2009-10-29T19:07:56Z 2009-10-29T19:07:56Z Disclosure: Bill Burgua is the chair of the Marshall School New Era Park Neighborhood Association. Bill Burgua 2009-10-29T19:07:56Z