Tuesday, April 29th, 2008...6:51 am
TUSD School Closings
I caught this post by David Safier over on Blog for Arizona about the impending school closings in TUSD. Heck, more than impending, they plan to vote on them tonight.
Safier underestimates the firepower behind the effort to keep Ochoa open. Because of its location, former Supervisor Dan Eckstrom and his brother Art Eckstrom not only organized the rally that attracted 900 folks, but they understand how to use that as a tool to pressure the board. Because of this, I’d be shocked if they closed Ochoa tonight.
The very fact that Safier picked out Ochoa as the example is testament to the community attention that has been payed to it. Of the schools on the list, Corbett is the orphan. Corbett is in a highly stressed and difficult to organize neighborhood. My money would be on Corbett closing, which is, unfortunately, the last thing that that neighborhood needs.
2 Comments
April 29th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Ted, I hope you’re right about the pressure to keep Ochoa open. I know the Eckstroms are backing the school, and that gives me hope. If the school stays open tonight, it will be the exception that proves the rule, which is: “Money talks, activism walks” when it comes to giving out goodies in school districts. When activism is backed by heavy hitters, things can happen.
I’ll be at the meeting tonight, rooting for Ochoa.
April 30th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
With Supervisor Ramon Valadez highlighting Ochoa Elem. in his State of the County video on 4/18, I knew it would be saved, for now.
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