This story about massive cuts in Kansas City schools has been generating a lot of attention today on CNN and other major news outlets:

Kansas City school officials promised Thursday to shut down nearly half the district’s schools by the start of classes in the fall without offering details of how they intend to implement the complicated plan in just a matter of months. The drastic project also calls for cutting hundreds of jobs and shuffling thousands of students — changes that officials say are needed to keep the district from using up what little is left of the $2 billion it received as part of a groundbreaking desegregation case…

…(*)Wanda J. Blanchett, dean of the school of education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, said Thursday that Covington’s planned cuts and his timetable were not only feasible, but critically important. "And the reason I say that is because the district is still operating as far as its infrastructure is concerned as though it’s serving 75,000 students," she said. "But in reality, it’s serving slightly under 17,000 students. Not only is it feasible, but it’s the right thing to do."

My question is this: Why have the number of students in Kansas City schools declined so drastically? The population of the city has remained relatively stable over the past few decades. My guess is that(*)any parents who have the means have(*)either been moving out of the city or have been sending their kids to private school. No matter what the explanation, this situation is a giant red flag. Our urban schools are in crisis.

What’s on your mind tonight?

Tags: education, Kansas City, Public Schools





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