Frequently unanswered question

The district has posted its responses to frequently asked questions about the planned closure of Hoover Elementary. There’s a glaring omission from the list: What will the district do with the property?

Remember, the district’s long-term plan allocates millions of dollars to replace Hoover’s capacity elsewhere, including on two very questionable proposals to super-size Mann and Longfellow schools. Yet nothing in the plan (or in the FAQ) answers the most basic questions about what the Hoover property will be used for, or what that use will cost.

How can you make a “long-term plan” for a piece of property without having any idea what you will do with that property, what you will spend doing it, or what benefit you will get from it?

The FAQ repeatedly asserts that the property will be “needed” for the expansion of City High. So how? How can it be a “need” if no one can articulate what City will use it for?

What’s the big secret?

Chris Liebig blogs about local and national education issues at A Blog About School, where this post is cross-posted.  Comments are welcome at either site.  You can also follow him on Twitter.