When comparing schools, compare apples to apples

When comparing schools, compare apples to apples
EDITOR:
I read your thought-provoking editorial, "Youngstown school district still not making the grade," that appeared in the Vindicator Aug. 3. I'm not sure if the district was portrayed accurately and feel that we need the following information printed in your editorial in the near future:
Enrollment in each school district.
Enrollment in each school in that district.
Number of special needs pupils in each district.
Number of special needs pupils in each school.
Percentage of special needs pupils in each district.
Percentage of special needs pupils in each school.
Number of standards met in each district.
Number of standards met in each school.
Ben McGee has the interest of the students in the Youngstown School District at heart and has made a great deal of progress in meeting the state standards.
If The Vindicator reports data objectively, you can't put "fruit aside" because you have to compare apples to apples!
JANET M. CARPENTER
Youngstown
Research beats guessing
EDITOR:
To everyone associated with the guessing game reported in the Aug. 3 Vindicator by Roger Smith, please stop wasting your time and my tax money!
Did nobody check any records anywhere before heading out on your expedition? Are there no records of who owns what structure, whether it's a rental property, fraternity house, or single or multiple family dwelling? Youngstown has few enough resources as it is without making decisions about future projects using data from flawed, inaccurate, and incorrect opinions that would seem to be presented as fact.
One cannot tell how many families inhabit a structure by counting the electric meters -- have you not heard of a rental property with the landlord paying the utility bills? One cannot count mailboxes and determine how many people reside in a given house in an area populated with fraternity houses!
Mr. Smith writes that decisions will be made in the future based on suppositions.
Please do some research before you produce studies and develop strategies that will affect Youngstown for years to come.
ED SHANKS
Youngstown
The wrong alternative
EDITOR:
Dear citizens of Struthers, did I not read that Struthers has 17 youngsters already attending the alternative school? So one of these children could be your child or grandchild or a neighbor's child. The old saying, "But for the grace of God there go I."
The children in the alternative school deserve another chance. I know we have become a throw-away society, the people of Struthers have shown this is how they feel by opposing the alternative school.
I work at the Adams school and I have 3- to 5-year-old pre-school children in my child care room. The alternative school is on the floor above us. I have never had any problem with one of their students.
The opportunity of having a better school to bring the alternative school to sounded wonderful. The school at Adams is in very bad condition.
So, concerned citizens of Struthers, I think you overreacted. Nobody is going wreak havoc and the Struthers law enforcement can deal with it. After all they did such a good job with the organized crime factor there.
Now citizens you have made your decision to lose $57,000 a year for your district. You also are losing the chance to help 145 young lives.
LINDA MARIE SEFCIK
Poland