Libertarian Librarian

No, nothing so dramatic as seceding from the United States or anything. But, maybe just maybe, the Village of Caledonia-- where I currently live-- will secede from the Racine Unified School District (RUSD). Certainly there are efforts afoot to make that happen, which is quite intriguing.

Longtime readers (any left after my December hiatus?) will remember that I pretty abhor RUSD because they seem to spend like drunken sailors, produce below average students, and have no shame or compunction in asking tax payers to fork over additional funds when they can't meet their fiscal responsibilities. I am fortunate that my children attend one of the Magnet schools in RUSD, and all of the teachers I have met seem very professional and competent, but the RUSD is a bad school district.

The RUSD was formed in 1961 (not several years ago as the above linked flier states) to accomplish three basic things-- cost savings through economies of scale, standardization of curricula within eastern Racine schools, and conformity with changes in state law mandating that school districts with K-8 schools also have a high school within their district. While the second and third elements have been accomplished, the RUSD is actually less fiscally responsible than the fifteen separate Caledonia school districts were prior to its formation.

At any rate, the process of forming a new Caledonia school system is a long, complicated one, and its odds of succeeding seem remote. But I'm a fan of exploring the possibilities, and if nothing else, perhaps the exploration will make RUSD sit up and take notice. Doubtful, but you never know-- when a huge chunk of your tax base begins rumbling about dumping you, it can make some folks pay attention.

Labels: Schools