SNOB HILL UPSETS SILO TECH PARENTS, VERSION 2.0
LOCAL NEWSParsons Sun
Questions continue to arise about school buses from other districts entering Parsons USD 503 to pick up and drop off students.
Last month, Parsons USD 503 Board of Education stopped an Altamont USD 506 bus from entering the district without permission to pick up students at various stops on the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center campus.
Parents reported that the bus has been making the stops for anywhere from 11 to 20 years, and that the district denying them access would place their children in situations where they would be waiting at other bus stops for up to 45 minutes without protection from the elements.
The Parsons board said it had never been made aware of the situation until recently, but USD 506 had never sought permission to enter the district for general pick ups and drop offs at those locations. Parsons gave Altamont a week to address the situation.
Since that meeting, calls have come into the district office and the Sun to report buses from other districts picking up and dropping off students in what appears to be USD 503 territory, or questioning if the district has a double standard by allowing some buses in and not others.
Superintendent Deborah Perbeck said a number of buses from other districts have permission to enter the district to pick up and drop off students from the two alternative schools at the PSHTC and Lincoln Elementary, which has a special program for students who are hearing impaired.
"That is really the only instance," Perbeck said of other schools being given permission to enter the territory. "Any type of special programs where schools are needing to transport kids in to attend is the only situation we are aware of."
Students come from as far away as Iola and Independence to attend the two schools on the PSHTC grounds and come from surrounding towns to attend Lincoln Elementary.
"Because so many districts do come through, unless we are made aware of other districts picking up or dropping off students at other locations in the district, we don't know about it. And we don't go out to look for people violating our statute."
With the district's boundaries zigzagging, there is confusion by many people about what is inside the district and outside.
For example, First Christian Church on Southern Avenue is in Altamont USD 506 district, while a block away on Southern sits the Parsons district office, inside USD 503 territory.
"It can be confusing," Perbeck said.
One of the most frequent reports coming in is of USD 506 buses dropping off students on the east side of 32nd Street, which is in the Parsons district, rather than the west side, which is USD 506 territory in most places. Last week, it was reported a USD 506 bus picked up students in the morning on the east side of 32nd Street at Appleton, which is USD 503 territory.
If someone has questions about where the district territory begins and ends, Perbeck said maps and written descriptions of the territory are available.
Again referring to the good folks in Maine; heavy handed to be sure, but as one link in their "look to the future" chain, there is "top down" school consolidation happening there, with actual building closings, etc., which has begun to save the state $$ in its school finance set up, which has as one effect the reduction in increases (you will note I didn't say flat-out reduction) in the tax burden to finance the schools. Another thing that is going on in the Pine Tree State is a state-imposed set of graduation requirements which is hoped makes all students academically prepared to attend a four year college or university upon high school graduation. These include, in addition to four years of English, at least three science credits (with either Chemistry or Physics to be completed), four math credits, etc., etc.
What I find refreshing about that state is that it found itself in a similar situation as Kansas several years ago (the traditional "industries" were slowly deteriorating, its economy was deteriorating) but decided to look forward rather than trying to attract more of the same. Yes, the state has the tourism advantage over Kansas, but the problems I've read about over the four years (OK, close to four years) Lindsay has been there have reminded me so much of what we're facing here. The small towns which are not coastal are drying up, the young people are fleeing, etc., etc.
Politically, the state is also very interesting. Two woman Senators, both of whom are "pro choice, moderate Republicans", a division between the two major parties at various levels in the state government, and, instead of calling each other names, have seemingly adopted a bipartisan approach to trying to solve the problems. Yes, there are political barbs that fly; there is resentment about what the Governor is doing and has convinced the Legislature to enact; but, from my Kansas vantage point, they're doing something right.
It's not all peaches and cream; the state income tax is rather high; the total tax burden (income, sales, property) is among the highest in the 50 states; but, by gum, they're trying to get it figured out.
A bit of a younger offspring tale; she, being from Kansas, has a bit of disrespect for anything that wears the GOP label. She became active in the college democrats when first on campus, and found them not to her liking, so her involvement with the League. She proudly announced to us after the 2006 elections that she had voted for Olympia Snowe for Senate, to return her in place of the admittedly "good" Democratic opponent, her rationale being that it was better to have a Senator like Ms Snowe rather than the alternative. My rejoinder was it must be nice to have what I consider "traditional" Republicans for whom to vote; she concurred, noting the great difference between the Maine GOP types and those who currently control the Kansas GOP.
The spouse and I have formed the opinion that the "best" time to visit (especially ME) is late May to mid-June. Generally, the weather has warmed, and the "in season" pricing hasn't become effective. Yes, the early Fall is a glorious time, what with the leaves turning, but they know it, too, and the lodging, etc., rates are high (a bit lower, though, than "in season", but still a significant increase over the time I posted). An example from some years ago, when the elder was lucky enough to land a summer internship at Jackson Labs, which is located in Bar Harbor; a night in early June at a room at a local "tourist camp" located in Hull's Cove (just a few miles out of Bar Harbor) was $26; "in season" for the same accommodations was $75 (IIRC). We got one for us, one for the girls, and were quite pleased. In Bar Harbor proper, a motel room for the four of us at that time would have been somewhere around $65, with an "in season" rate of $125-150.
While we weren't there for the fall "leaf" season, our hosts told us that the rates in late September through mid-October for our accommodations would have been $50 per room, and the "in town" motel, according to their web site, would have been $100-$125. I can only imagine what the rates are now, based upon our experience when we took Lindsay to school. Again, thriftiness prevailed, and we stayed at a charming, older motel in Farmington, ME (a 45 minute drive) for $60, while in Waterville, the least costly place we could find was $100.
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