So… remember the “West Scott” petition from a few weeks ago, which is actually a rehash of the same thing three years ago? It’s on the Davenport school district’s radar, and the district has a response of sorts: Punish them for their insolence.
Is that too harsh? Let me quote from the Quad-City Times article:
Board member Linda Hayes suggested closing all three of the rural schools. “Let them work it out,” she said.
“If they decide to leave the district, we would lose all the money that comes with the students,” said board member Allison Beck, who added the idea is “worth exploring.”
It’s hard to think of a better way to increase rural disgruntledness and add fuel to the West Scott petition drive than threaten to take one of their schools away.
The potential of closing a school not in the city of Davenport is one proposal on the table as the district deals with a long-term loss of hundreds of students — enrollment is down about one-eighth since 2000. (Meanwhile, 15 miles away, Pleasant Valley can’t build fast enough.) Closing one of Davenport’s three high schools (!!) was even an option at first, but has been cut in favor of this or a reconfiguration of grade levels.
Davenport’s next community forum on future plans will be June 12.