Year in review - schools: tax measures, declining enrollment

If enrollment is down, why don't we broach the conversation of merging, at least the two Menlo Park districts? How can we support such overhead? I would like to see the school boards look at this possibility before asking us for more money. I want strong schools but don't see significant benefits of having two small districts remain independent and increasing our taxes.

I'd go further- merge all the elementary districts that feed into Menlo-Atherton High School. The kids are ending up at the same secondary school, so why not start mixing earlier? I think the M-A district is pretty similar to the Fire District service area, so there's some consistency with that as well? "Curious"'s point about overhead and efficiency is also apt.

More taxes! This is becoming daily news!
How about less spending, really tired of sky high taxes, Everytime I turn around there is a new fee, tax, prop, trying to extract more $ out of my pocket. CA is a mess and it's getting worse by the minute!

I'm confused about how the Hillview "choking game" episode referred to above demonstrates there's a need for mental health services for kids. What's the link? The implication is that the "choking game" is a symptom of mental illness among youth - is that true?

MPResident -
Please read the original story for more information:

Web Link

An excerpt:

When to seek help

Some of the research indicates that children who take part in the activity alone, often in their bedroom at home, may have more serious mental health issues. The CDC study said 95 percent of deaths were of children who were alone.

"If your child is doing this alone, you really want to talk to the pediatrician and maybe look into more intense support for this child," Mr. Prouty said.

The New York State Department of Health website says the following are symptoms that a child may be involved in a pass-out activity: bloodshot eyes, frequent and severe headaches, unexplained marks on the neck, pinpoint bleeding spots under the skin on the face or eyelids, disorientation after spending time alone, increased and uncharacteristic irritability or hostility, wearing high-necked shirts even in warm weather, finding ropes, scarves or belts tied to bedroom furniture or doorknobs, or the unexplained presence of things such as dog leashes, chock collars or bungee cords.

The health department's website says that "after just a few seconds of choking, children may pass out. This can lead to serious injury or even death from hanging or strangulation. Within three minutes of continued strangulation, basic functions such as memory and balance start to fail. If this happens, death can occur shortly after."