To Close or not to Close? Does Schools Closing Solve the Problem?
National School of Excellence to Close

We in the Kansas City area have recently been bombarded with information about education, whether it be the Kansas City School District loosing its accreditation, or the Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) having a budget deficit. In Johnson County, we are quite fortunate to have a school system, the SMSD, that is nationally known. In fact, while speaking to the Dean of Admissions at Stanford University, one of the top 5 post-secondary schools in the country, I mentioned that I attend Shawnee Mission East High School in Kansas, and he instantly recognized the school. This is quite an accomplishment considering that almost 2000 miles separate California from Kansas.

The SMSD also has a disproportionate number of National Merit Semi-finalists with regard to the rest of Kansas (50 of 178). Several SMSD schools have received recognition from the Department of Education as National Schools of Excellence, one of which is Cherokee Elementary. That is one of the main reasons I was shocked, to say the least, when I found out that Cherokee was one of 11 schools under consideration for closing at the end of the school year.

After some investigation, I do understand the school board's motivation-the SMSD is shrinking in terms of enrollment, which shrinks state funding.

Now, with a budget deficit, the Board must find a way to equalize spending and income. However, the proposed closing of three elementary schools seems quite harsh.

Nonetheless, it is uncertain why closing one of the best schools, one that received recognition as a school of excellence, should even be considered.

Not to mention that Cherokee is the center of special education at the elementary school level, or that last year four third-grade Cherokee students were named semi-finalists in the Toshiba/Nations Science Teachers Association ExploraVision competition. It is true that Cherokee does fall into the category of low enrollment, but since when has size determined quality? Would you rather have 10 highly-skilled Army Rangers sent to fight a group of enemy soldiers or 30 freshly-enlisted 18-year-olds? Cherokee is just such a trained and exemplary platoon-fighting for the education its 262 students. It is my earnest hope that the Board reviewing this situation has simply overlooked these facts and will take them into account by voting to keep Cherokee open, thus allowing it to continue with its successful education of its students.

To reach John Shapiro, call (913) 381-6189 or send e-mail to jshapiro@sfdnet.com