(Thumbnail image: The Kansas City Star)

“…nearly half of Kansas City’s public schools will shut down by summer to keep the district out of bankruptcy.”

“Nearly 300 teachers will lose their jobs and some will have to reapply for jobs they already have.”

After a 5-4 vote by the school board, the Kansas City School District will close 26 of its 61 schools.  District Superintendent John Covington’s plan is aimed at cutting costs to meet a $50 million budget shortfall.

While proponents of the measure have called it painful but necessary, Kansas City’s CBS affiliate says racial tension tinged the decision.

“Well the measure did pass, but in the process it did fuel audible racial tension.” 

“This intentional continuation of the blighting of the urban core is scandalous and shameful.” *applause*

“Mr. Polaski, you don’t know blight.  You don’t know struggle.  Like I know struggle.” *applause* “A vote that the board president described as along racial lines, with the only black board member to vote yes subject to cat-calls declaring him Judas.”

A reporter for CNN’s stimulus desk looks on the bright side of the decision, saying the closings demonstrate a commitment to quality -- something that could translate into federal stimulus dollars for the state.

“Now Missouri did not make the cut so far, but states are going to get a second chance to apply for this money in a couple months, and now, the step that they have taken, at that one particular school district there in Kansas City, just might help. Officials in Kansas City are saying one of the reasons they did it is to improve quality they want to get rid of a bunch of schools in order to improve the quality of the ones that they’re keeping.”

MSNBC’s Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie see the closings as the latest casualty of the budget crises sweeping the nation.

TODD: “It does bring attention to this issue that we’ve been talking about -- these state budgets and then it trickles down to these county budgets and this is what happens you’ve got these drastic measures that folks have to take. Kansas City has population issues, there’s all sorts of other reasons."

GUTHRIE: "So many schools get their funding from property taxes too, it’s just all of it's connected."

TODD: "It’s a trickle-down effect in the worst type of way.”

To a columnist for the Kansas City Star, the tenuous nature of the decision echoes the continuous struggles of the city’s public school system. The 5-4 decision could change with upcoming school board elections.

“That would be extremely disappointing. But it would be par for the course when it comes to trying to determine a better fate for the Kansas City School District.” 

Writer: Newsy Staff

Producer: Liz Reed