Finally, some positive news. The review-and-comment document for the citizens' valid petition for an alternate schools plan -- Plan B -- has been completed. It is expected to be mailed this week by the Duluth school district to the Minnesota Department of Education for review and comment.
A lot of hard work and time went into preparing this extensive document.
The district was required to assist in putting it together and hired a well-respected company called ATS&R. ATS&R employs architects, engineers and others experienced in school planning and in preparing review-and-comment documents. The district can be thanked for hiring ATS&R to ensure the citizens' Plan B document was prepared correctly.
Art Johnston and other Let Duluth Vote Plan B subcommittee members worked closely for more than a month with ATS&R's Bill Hanson and with the school district's Kerry Leider. They produced a document ATS&R is confident will be accepted by the Department of Education.
The department will have 60 days to rule. Once accepted, Plan B will be the subject of a special election, and the public will be given the opportunity to vote on this less-expensive, alternate plan.
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Plan B updates and keeps all neighborhood schools. We with Let Duluth Vote are excited to announce its details as they are laid out in the review-and-comment document.
Plan B costs $100 million less than the red plan but still pumps millions of dollars into construction jobs while also keeping teachers and support staff. That represents long-term jobs for our community.
While Plan B can be viewed as a stimulus for our community's economy, any long-range plan should be centered on programs, students and, ultimately, what the community wants for its schools.
The review-and-comment document shows that Plan B repairs, remodels and adds safety features to all current neighborhood schools in all three corridors. It reduces class sizes. It focuses on programs over new buildings. It eliminates concerns over neighborhood traffic issues, and it eliminates the need to shift students multiple times to unfamiliar schools.
It reinvests in our current buildings instead of tearing down publicly owned investments.
One of the best parts of Plan B is it doesn't trade teachers' jobs for new buildings. Plan B does not use savings from laying off teaching and support staff positions to pay off buildings. Plan B's cost savings are realized through building efficiencies and the sales of excess properties and buildings not used for students.
Plan B is the truest sense of building "green" by using what we already have.
Plan B adds proof of respect for the voters of Duluth because it asks for the ultimate form of public input: the chance to vote before money is spent.
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Plan B matches the city of Duluth's 20-year comprehensive plan, which was adopted in 2006. The comprehensive plan shows benefits from all current neighborhood schools, including that they're within walking distance of many homes. The comprehensive plan states that keeping schools in neighborhoods enhances property values and encourages neighborhoods to thrive around the schools. We know that where schools are located affects housing decisions and home values.
We are excited for the public to see the details of Plan B now that this excellent company has worked out those details, showing that this plan most certainly can work for our community. It has been a pleasure to work with ATS&R, Bill Hanson and Kerry Lieder to finally bring forth such a good alternative plan to our community.
BRENDA ANDERSON of Duluth is a member of the grass-roots, anti-red plan group Let Duluth Vote.
