Friday, June 28, 2013

Is an election do-over in the works? School expansion vote falls short - Palmetto Bay - MiamiHerald.com

School expansion vote falls short - Palmetto Bay - MiamiHerald.com
Will there be an election do-over?

The Montessori school in Palmetto Bay wanted a to improve their school , offering up a new master site plan that included significant updating and replacement of the one-story north and south buildings with two-story L-shaped facilities.   

Improvements cost money, and as the school officials stated, moving forward with this plan is contingent upon increasing the enrollment.  As reported in the Miami Herald, School expansion vote falls short, by Lidia Dinkova; James McGhee, the school’s headmaster advised that “It makes no sense to build such a large facility without an increased enrollment.”

So how many new students was Alexander Montessori School seeking?  59.  An increase of the maximum number of students from 270 to 329.  This is for the six-acre Ludlam Road Elementary Campus, 14850 SW 67th Ave.  This is not the campus located at the corner of 144th and Old Cutler Road.

 “We had hoped to win but we knew that 75 percent of the vote was a very high bar to get over,” said James McGhee, the school’s headmaster. “But we are not going to give up.”

McGhee said school officials will consult with their attorney and the village to discuss other options, such as repeating the referendum, to reach their goal.

Only voters who live within 2,000 feet of the school received ballots in the mail during the recent special election. That added up to 330 people of whom 119 sent back their ballots, according to Miami-Dade County Elections Department results certified by Palmetto Bay.

“It’s very possible that if we had to conduct the referendum again, more people would vote, and we could get the needed votes,” McGhee said. And if he gets a second referendum, he said he would work harder to educate residents about the school's expansion plans.

5 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 30, 2013

    Stanczyk better do something. Palmetto Bay is over the limit for lawsuits.

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  2. AnonymousJune 30, 2013

    It is very sad that the McGhees are paying the price for the war of Palmer. It goes to show you that there are always unintended victims in any war.

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  3. AnonymousJune 30, 2013

    Are you watching Westminster, Christ Fellowship?

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJuly 01, 2013

    Westminster is well aware.

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  5. AnonymousJuly 02, 2013

    I wonder what gives them the right to a do-over election? Was their some irregulatity or was the election flawed in any way? If not, I am not sure why the school is entitled to a do-over. I am sure, however, that the Village Council will give them a do-over since they want to avoid a lawsuit. I am all for avoiding lawsuits, but I am not sure that I would give the school unauthorized rights just to avoid a lawsuit. I could possible see a right to a different election if and only if the school changes their proposal in some material way.

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