Judge Jay Moody has indicated he’ll temporarily block the closure of Paron High School pending a trial on the merits of forcing the state to keep the high schol open. The district has merged with Bryant and Bryant has said it can’t afford to keep the high school open and meet state standards at the 125-student school. He’s issued no order, but notified attorneys a letter that you can read on the jump.
To issue a restraining order, the judge had to decide there was a chance those fighting the closure could prevail on their argument that closure would put an undue busing burden on students.
We’re surprised frankly. If this becomes law, others should resume fights to preserve inefficient high schools with inadequate course offerings in the name of student convenience.
UPDATE: After some phone calls, these additional thoughts.
* It’s almost a certainty Paron High School will be open next school year. There’s not time for the state to adequately consider the busing issue in time to arrive at standards and put them in place before the next school year.
* The state’s failure to follow the administrative procedures act — that is, to give Paron supporters a chance to develop full testimony and cross-examination before the state Board of Education — was critical to the plaintiffs’ success. State law includes transportation as an issue to be considered in the education adequacy formula and it recognizes that isolated schools are more expensive to support. That doesn’t mean that isolation trumps all, but it means that distance factors must be considered.
* This case has deep ramifications elsewhere. Other districts are now certain to fight mergers by raising busing. Absent specific standards from the state, the fights will be winnable in the interim if this case is a precedent. In the Delta, Elaine school supporters fiercely fought consolidation on account of longer bus rides, for example.
* The legislature will have to fight this next year. At what point do efficiency and adequacy trump a bus ride or district consolidation? One solution would be to give the state board more power to merge districts and redraw boundaries into more efficient units. In Paron, the solution would have been to divide the territory with several neighboring districts, rather than put it all with Bryant. That would have shortened all bus rides and lessened burdens on all concerned. But it’s not doable under the current law.