Surprise! Another new elementary school needed.

Well, actually, to anyone who has stepped into overcrowded Korte Elementary, the situation is obvious:  a new elementary school is needed in Western Independence.  Parents, teachers, paras, custodians and bus drivers have not needed demographers to tell them that a new school would be needed despite the opening of Matt Abraham Mallinson Elementary.

Of course, Little Blue was built with EXCESS capacity in anticipation of continued building of homes in eastern Independence.  Matt Abraham Mallinson Elementary was anticipated to be at capacity when it opened.  At some point, the parents in Western Independence will begin making their concerns heard more publicly.

There was such a "difficult" time finding appropriate property on which to build Mallinson - we are sure that the next search will be as laborious.  Oh wait.  Isn't there a former Independence administrator who bought the old Rockwood Golf Course for $500,000?  Yeah - Ron Bruh and other undisclosed investors.

When - and seriously there will be no "if" - the District decides to buy Rockwood, we hope that there will be a full and OPEN disclosure of all investors and parties of interest in the property.

Some random thoughts:

How long will Sugar Creek Elementary remain open?  After the residents get to know Matt Abraham Mallinson Elementary, the pain of closing Sugar Creek will be less profound and intense.  Hopefully not - but there are several residents of that community who see this coming.

Isn't it interesting that the new elementary school is referred to as "Mallinson Elementary" rather than "Abraham Mallinson Elementary"?  Why not "Southern" instead of "William Southern"?  Why not "Chrisman" instead of "William Chrisman"?  Yes - there is inconsistency in the District about the naming of schools - but in this case it just seems a little more .... unseemly.  Wouldn't someone want to emphasize that the school is really named after Abraham specifically and not the Mallinson family in general?