Idea for early learning center wins out

The odds against Homecroft Elementary School becoming an exciting, popular new elementary program were long. Now, it may be impossible.

Saying it would take too much money, take too much time and be too much of a gamble for a school district looking to cut $10 million from its budget next year -- mainly because of declining enrollment -- the St. Paul School Board has moved to remake Homecroft into an early childhood and special programs center next fall. The school board will take a final vote April 15.

The move was recommended Tuesday by Superintendent Meria Carstarphen as the least expensive and least risky proposal for the building, located in the southwest corner of Highland Park. But her recommendation disappointed members of a task force that sought an elementary program for the school. That group, made up of neighborhood residents, had recommended three options for recreating Homecroft as an elementary that they believed would attract neighborhood children and non-St. Paul residents alike.

"We were never given a fair shot at putting out a program that would work," said Bill Rosenbloom, a task force member.

Added Fred Haeusler, another member: "Our concern is that this is a program based on convenience."

The task force had been formed after community members complained last fall about a lack of input into proposed changes for Homecroft.

The task force recommended a music program, a classical education school or an environmental school.

The idea is to make Homecroft a demonstration site for programs from birth to age 5, officials said. In all, about 120 children would attend early childhood classes at Homecroft.

But that is not all that will go into the longtime neighborhood school. It will also house a program called "The Lab," which provides space for special education students to work on academic goals through the arts. Kids and teachers are bused from their home schools to use the program each day.

Another special education program -- Rivereast Day Treatment -- would provide services for up to 48 mentally ill students.

The little ones in the early childhood programs will be in classrooms on the ground floor of the school's newer west wing. The day treatment students will be on two upper floors in the older, east side of the building.

Currently, the district leases space for Rivereast and the Lab at a cost of about $179,000 a year. By comparison, district officials estimate that a 300-student elementary program, starting from scratch, would run a deficit of about $500,000 a year. A secondary program would put the district even deeper in the red.

The early learning center, she said, would allow officials to "learn more about the families who are in the area and if it's realistic to launch an elementary program."

Officials say the Highland Park area simply has too few elementary students to make a K-6 school viable.

Carstarphen said she would continue to seek outside funding that may give an elementary program enough time to get its feet under it.

But task force members were not appeased.

Rosenbloom said that if this is the precedent being set for dealing with future program changes, "God help the other schools of St. Paul."