On November 6, voters will decide whether to move seven schools located in western Independence from the Kansas City, Missouri, School District to the Independence School District. Trying to clear up some of the ballot's less-than-clear language, we called sources on both sides.
Explain to a resident with no kids: Why shouldn’t they vote to let Independence have the schools?
I think obviously the schools have a lot to do with the community and the city. We’ll lose a significant amount of tax dollars, property taxes, both at state and federal level. And absorbing 1,500 kids back into our schools is gong to be very disruptive. And in terms of just jobs lost in the community, it’s not just teacher jobs but custodians and secretaries and a lot of others.
If this passes, how will the two parties agree on what Independence owes Kansas City for the schools? And how do we know they’ll pay?
That’s troublesome. I don’t think anyone knows right now how that’s finally going to be settled. We know it can go to the board of arbitration. We know what’s in the law, but there’s a very complicated way the school buildings are collateral for bonds. I think schools still have $115 million in bonds out that those building’s are collateral on. Obviously that’s going to be a bone of contention if the district doesn’t get fair market value in terms of the creditors. I think another concern we have is will Independence even buy all the buildings, because they may not need all of them. If that happens Kansas City is stuck with the building. We can’t send any kids to the school, and that’s not a real good place to be.
Will losing these schools affect the academic standings in Kansas City or Independence? Will it affect funding under No Child Left Behind?
Elementary schools there have done fairly well, so it could affect how we’re judged as a district in a negative way. It could affect accreditation in terms of meeting adequate yearly progress in No Child. Eventually a district could be taken over by the state. In terms of No Child, you’re judged as individual schools and as a district, so if they’re taken out it will affect overall accreditation.
Is this a sign of things to come? Will other districts start breaking off pieces?
The way this legislation is written, it’s kind of complicated but there has been speculation this may start something. But they’d have to go at it a different way. Part of their Center [Senior] High School is actually in Kansas City, but it’s not in the KC School District. I know Independence schools are in three or four different cities, like Blue Springs. Would Blue Springs come in and say they want to take over? I guess we can say we want to take over Center. I have hear some people speculate the next move will be to take the southwest part of the city out of the district, but right now that’s just speculation.
Explain to a resident with no kids: Why shouldn’t they vote to let Independence have the schools?
I think I would say, from the last four decades of performance of the Kansas City School District, I don’t blame the folks in western Independence wanting better opportunities for their kids. Independence has proven that they can offer better opportunities than Kansas City can.
If this passes, how will the two parties agree on what Independence owes Kansas City for the schools? And how do we know they’ll pay?
That’s making assumption that they’ll only be money exchanged from us to them. Looking at prior annexation issues, it’s a distribution of assets going both ways, and certainly western Independence has contributed to that. I think it’s in both districts’ best interests to work out a mutual agreement on the value of the buildings. We’ve been very upfront. We don’t believe the numbers they’ve stated publicly are anywhere close to the value of those buildings. It’s easier to start with a much higher number in negotiations. We’ll certainly provide a good-faith effort. As far as the district using the buildings as collateral on bonds or loans, any of those buildings being used for collateral can be swapped out with other KCMO buildings.
Will losing these schools affect the academic standings in Kansas City or Independence? Will it affect funding under No Child Left Behind?
The likelihood is it’ll help us ultimately. We already see a large number of students transfer from there as it is, so they’re already impacting our test scores. This will allow us to work with them from the time they enter the educational system.
Is this a sign of things to come? Will other districts start breaking off pieces?
No, personally I don’t think so. This is a very unique situation. You’re talking about a part of Independence and Sugar Creek. They’re part of the city but still in Kansas City’s School District. You don’t have those kinds of situations. It’s unique. I haven’t heard other communities and other cities talk about anything like this. I’ve not heard anyone so adamant to get out as the folks in western Independence have been.
Explain to a resident with no kids: Why shouldn’t they vote to let Independence have the schools?
To bring change to the Kansas City School District. Part of the problem with the district is it’s too large. I believe that the benefit to Kansas City taxpayers is the school system will become a smaller, more manageable district. They will be able to restore neighborhood schools. This spring the Kansas City School District shut seven popular schools in the inner cities while keeping these schools open, and to us that made no sense. It made no sense to shut popular neighborhood schools. That was an acknowledgement that the district is too large to be manageable. With the money Independence will pay for the buildings, with the reduction of transportation costs, there will be a savings to Kansas City district taxpayers. And the KC School District will be forced to go back to neighborhood schools.
If this passes, how will the two parties agree on what Independence owes Kansas City for the schools? And how do we know they’ll pay?
State statute provides a board of arbitration. You have an objective arbiter that will settle that. We believe their number is preposterous. There is a set value for elementary schools in the marketplace. The state statute has criteria such as the value of the building. They have not spent any money in these schools. The other thing that’ll be calculated is that we’ve had 20,000 taxpayers for 40 years pay into those buildings. And look at the history. Sugar Creek had its own school district when it joined the Kansas City School District. They donated that building to the Kansas City School District. And they gave Kansas City $200,000 in addition to that building some 30-40 years ago. So, in determining the value of that building, remember that was donated to you.
Will losing these schools affect the academic standings in Kansas City or Independence? Will it affect funding under No Child Left Behind?
We believe it will help both districts. It’ll help Independence both financially in that they’ll get the benefit of the foundation and they’ll do a better job and they’ll save this generation of kids. The Kansas City School District will save money in this, because it just doesn’t make sense to maintain seven schools and spend $6 to $7 million on transportation costs transporting children in this crazy system. Kansas City doesn’t have neighborhood schools. They have a modified magnet school system.
Is this a sign of things to come? Will other districts start breaking off pieces?
I hope so. That’s certainly up to the desire of taxpayers. If there’s that many people dissatisfied. Keep in mind this is popular on the Independence schools side, and if you don’t have that popularity it doesn’t happen. It’s never a mistake to empower taxpayers to make that choice. Critics try to present arguments, “Will Independence go after 39th street, which is in the Blue Springs district?” No, you don’t have people there saying it’s a good move. We would not be pursuing this if the Independence School District was not on board.
Explain to a resident with no kids: Why shouldn’t they vote to let Independence have the schools?
This is an issue that affects everyone. It is a disruption of our efforts to educate children because of the views of some in Independence to remove these seven schools from our district. What each civic-minded individual should keep in mind is the better the district, the better the students, the stronger the work force, the better the tax base. And ultimately this will create stronger voters and community.
If this passes, how will the two parties agree on what Independence owes Kansas City for the schools? And how do we know they’ll pay?
Preliminarily, we estimate the value to be about $40 million. It could be more. The process defined by the legislation suggests the value of the real estate would be determined by an independent appraisal. The complication here, however, is the fact that the school district itself does not own the real estate and the buildings. As an aftermath of the desegregation lawsuit, the district’s real estate and buildings were assigned to an entity called the Kansas City School District Building Corporation. All of the school district’s facilities in real estate -- except for the school board building downtown -- is owned by the Building Corporation and pledged as collateral against bonds that have been used to finance district real estate obligations. Bonds were sold to creditors with this understanding. Creditors do not own bonds where one or two or even all seven of the schools in Independence serve as collateral. All of the school district’s facilities in real estate are pledged as one bundled piece of real estate as collateral against the district’s financing.
Will losing these schools affect the academic standings in Kansas City or Independence? Will it affect funding under No Child Left Behind?
Yes, this will affect both of them.
strong>Is this a sign of things to come? Will other districts start breaking off pieces?
It should be an issue of concern. Whether it happens or not, this statue allows this to take place with other districts in Missouri.
-- Peter Rugg
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