The board of directors of the Missouri Parent Teachers Association has endorsed programs like Schools First designed to improve the streets and sidewalks around schools.
Here's the text of a resolution approved by the board on June 6.
IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND SCHOOLS
Due to aging or insufficient infrastructure many children do not feel safe walking to and from neighborhood schools. While at the same time, several programs designed to get children more active and bring together a closer relationship between schools and communities have come into existence with a focus on walking to school. Safety is often the primary concern parents cite for not wanting their children to walk to and from school. Often these safety issues can be resolved by providing maintained sidewalks, crosswalks, crossing signals, traffic signs or signals and street lighting. In addition children and parents feel safer walking in an environment free from dangerous building, graffiti, excessive weeds and overgrown trees on unkempt or abandoned properties.
Therefore the Missouri Congress of Parents and Teachers supports city government efforts to work with the schools, parents and the community in seeking ways to improve the infrastructure around schools.
Why schools and neighborhoods must work together
It's about need. The Kansas City Infrastructure Report, released in March, makes the case for maintaining streets and sidewalks.
"It is estimated that the curb and sidewalk need is near $1.6 billion, with $960 million assessable back to the property owner. Over the past five years, the City has annually averaged nearly $5.8 million in funding for curb and sidewalk work. Knowing that the City couldn’t possibly address this backlog in one generation, the suggested funding levels of curbs and sidewalk work is $20 million per year." Read the report.
It's about the future. In two articles, Enterprise Community Partners of Columbia, Md., talks about why infrastructure improvements around schools and the neighborhoods they anchor are so important.
"Common sense tells us there is a strong connection between school quality and neighborhood quality. Good schools can attract families to a neighborhood and boost property values, while poorly performing schools can exacerbate the cycle of disinvestment and population loss. But despite the obvious synergies between schools and neighborhoods, educators and community development practitioners often work in isolation from one another." Read more.
"The organic growth in school-centered community revitalization efforts in low-income neighborhoods across the country and the improved academic performance of children attending these schools attest to the concept’s promise." Read more.
Schools First: Map it
Maps of the neighborhood around the city's 230-plus schools are online here. Check out your neighborhood, the problems we've already identified, and any areas you think need improvement and send us an email at schoolsfirst@kcmo.org. Tell us about the top three safety and repair needs in the area around your school.
We'd like to know about sidewalk problems, crosswalk issues, abandoned buildings and safety concerns. We are creating a "to do" list for each school so that we can improve Kansas City's neighborhoods, starting with Schools First. schoolsfirst@kcmo.org
Schools First overview
Kansas City is unique.We have fourteen different school districts, dozens of charter schools, and even more faith-based schools.Each deserves a neighborhood that can help it thrive.
Schools First is a five step process to improve the area in about a fifty block area around each of Kansas City’s more than 230 schools.
·A $100 million no-tax increase bond initiative to target infrastructure improvements around schools.
·A dedicated portion, approximately $5 million, of a renewed Public Safety Sales Tax targeted at police, crossing guard and other safety programs around schools.
·A commitment from City Council and the City Manager to focus city services, including noise abatement, weed removal, dangerous building demolition and snow removal around schools.
·A focused effort to work with all area schools to partner and apply for available state, federal and private grant monies for “walk to school” type programs.
·A dedicated staff function inside city hall to act as a liaison to every school and school district that has a school building in Kansas City.
Mayor Funkhouser unveiled this exciting initiative at his “State of the City” speech at the All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church on January 31, 2010.
A white paper outlining the program can be found here.
A list of all schools physically located in Kansas City can be found here. (If you would like to add a school, email us at schoolsfirst@kcmo.org)
For more information or to find out how you can help put Schools First email us at schoolsfirst@kcmo.org
Spotlight
Mayor Mark Funkhouser attended a town hall session on Aug. 26 at Harmony Vineyard Church in the Northland. Those who attended asked questions about city sidewalks, the Port Authority of Kansas City, the potential recall of the earnings tax and other issues. The statewide election on the earnings tax, which is being financed and pushed by St. Louis billionaire Rex Sinquefield, is scheduled for Nov. 2. "It's designed to just destroy Kansas City," Mayor Funkhouser told the crowd. "I'm opposed to it and will fight with every tool I have."
Read a copy of Mayor Funkhouser's 2010 State of the City address here.
Communicate with Mayor Mark Funkhouser
Contact with the residents of Kansas City is what keeps me grounded. Real people living in the real world know what they want from their city government. I want to hear how you feel about the issues affecting your neighborhood, your businesses, and your families. Good communication is a two-way street. I hope we can keep all lanes open between my office and the people I serve.
