Brooklyn Center school spared closing

The Robbinsdale school board's decision Tuesday not to close a school next year might just be deferring the pain.

Both district superintendent Stan Mack and school board members fully expect to close schools in the next few years, barring an unanticipated boost in funding from the Legislature this year.

But, for now, at least one school is safe. Northport Elementary, in Brooklyn Center, was spared the ax when board members voted 5 to 2 to take different budget reduction measures.

That means the more than $500,000 in savings that closing Northport would have meant for the 2008-09 school year will come instead from cuts in such programs as special education, the district's full-day kindergarten program and programs for non-English speaking students.

Plus, with $5 million in cuts needed, closing the school would have made only a small dent in the budget deficit. District officials will still have to lay off dozens of teachers, raise sports and fine arts activity fees, cut transportation costs, and eliminate all middle school after-school sports and activities.

"These are the toughest budget cuts that our district has had to face," board chairwoman Patsy Green said at Tuesday night's meeting.

About 70 people attended the Tuesday meeting but even more residents attended a Monday night work session, at which most of the budget-cutting discussion took place.

Also, school start times will likely have to change next year to allow school buses to operate more efficiently, thereby generating more savings for the district.

Failed levy request

District budget woes got worse when voters last November turned down a request for $23 million a year in tax revenues over 10 years.

Depending on how much grass-roots support the district feels it has for another referendum, board members might decide to go to the voters again for more money the same day they're voting for a new president this November.

And there's more pain to come.

But, for board member Barb Van Heel, the proposal to shut down Northport, which has the district's highest percentage of low-income and minority students, came too hastily.

"I did feel that things happened a little too fast for me to make a decision I would feel comfortable with," she said. "This is just a delay to do some further research on what the best situation is for all our schools."

Van Heel was also bothered that closing Northport, on the district's east side, would further deepen a divide between the districts' western and eastern residents. Also, she said, closing Northport would have significantly increased the number of low-income students at two other district schools. Northport had been recommended for closing because it's the district's second-oldest school, and faces costly renovation work.

"This decision is more than just about closing the oldest and most expensive school to remodel," Van Heel said.