The Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Sept. 29, on Montana State University enrollment:
Enrollment at Montana State University has been on a steady upward trajectory since 2007 _ until now. This fall, the official headcount dropped by 136 students.
Bigger has always been perceived as better when it comes to enrollment. More students mean more tuition, room and board and state support dollars. The record-breaking enrollment has translated into tens of millions of dollars in new construction of dorms and food service and academic buildings.
Even so, this year’s enrollment dip could be taken as good news. As MSU officials point out, the decrease is at least in part due to students graduating faster. Last year’s graduating class was 4% larger than the previous year’s. When students graduate sooner, they do so with less debt and get a jump on their careers.
But the pause in growth also gives the institution an opportunity to catch up on infrastructure. In the works are more dorm space and classrooms, both of which have been in short supply during the enrollment growth. It also gives the surrounding community a pause to catch up.
Since the string of record-breaking years began, some 4,500 more students have been added to MSU’s enrollment. That’s a lot of people for a city the size of Bozeman to absorb. It has translated into more traffic snarls and longer lines in stores and restaurants. A pause in the enrollment growth will give local government a chance to complete traffic improvement work and developers time to complete apartment construction to alleviate the rental crunch that has plagued the community.
But there is concern the latest count could signal the beginning of a trend. Colleges and universities nationwide experienced an enrollment spike during the Great Recession when many decided to further their education after they lost their jobs. But enrollment has been declining _ severely in some cases _ since the recession ended.
MSU has been a notable exception to that trend, largely due to its reputation as a science, engineering and tech school _fields high school educators have been steering their students toward. But smaller high school graduating classes may make it difficult for the university to continue its growth arc.
On balance the pause in growth is a net positive that will give MSU and the community a breather. But university officials should pay careful attention to the numbers and continue to actively recruit new students in the future.
Editorial: https://bit.ly/2oC1bvq
___
The Missoulian, Sept. 29, on Lolo National Forest winter recreation fee:
The national forest trails around Missoula are favorite escapes that see heavy use all year long. They are popular spots for increasing numbers of outdoors-loving locals and visitors alike, and all that use comes with a cost.
The Lolo National Forest is looking to cover some of those costs with a new winter recreation fee at the Pattee Canyon, Crazy Canyon and Seeley Creek parking areas. While nobody likes the idea of paying for something they previously enjoyed for free, it makes sense to expect those who actually use the trails to contribute to their upkeep.
However, in focusing solely on the costs, the Forest Service overlooks the contributions of dedicated volunteers whose efforts help make these trails so enjoyable in the first place. The Missoula and Seeley Lake Nordic ski clubs rely on volunteers and donations to regularly groom miles of ski trails, which other winter users also get to use, free of charge.
These clubs are rightly concerned that a mandatory fee would siphon off donations needed to pay for trail grooming equipment. Dozens of public comments made to the Forest Service echo this concern and further point out that it isn’t fair to charge only winter recreationists when the trails are used by many others throughout the year.
The Lolo Forest is proposing a mandatory parking permit between Dec. 1 and March 31 of $5 per vehicle per day. A $35 permit would cover the entire season and be good at both the Seeley Creek and Pattee Canyon sites, which includes Crazy Canyon.
The proposal is among a number of other suggested new or increased fees for campgrounds, day sites and rental cabins on the Lolo, and is expected to generate about $250,000 a year to help maintain and improve trails and facilities.
But the Forest Service has not offered an estimation of the costs of implementing or enforcing a new fee collection system. It also has not provided a breakdown of current trail maintenance costs, nor explained exactly how the fee money would be spent.
The local Nordic ski clubs are already taking care of trail grooming at no cost to the forest. Instead, club members pay dues, apply for state grants and collect donations. If they had to pay a use fee as well, they would in effect be paying twice for something summer recreationists don’t have to pay for at all.
The Seeley Lake club, which provides a heated yurt during the winter months as well, has a donation tube at the Seeley Creek trail. It’s fair to assume donations will decrease if visitors have to pay a mandatory fee. And while $5 a day doesn’t sound like much, even small fees create a barrier to public access. At a time when few people carry cash, requiring $5 to park at a trailhead, or the hassle of visiting a Forest Service office to buy a permit during regular business hours, could very well keep some users away.
Instead of draining donations and threatening the clubs’ ability to provide volunteer services, the forest should work to enhance donations and volunteer opportunities. And for their part, all Missoula County residents who love and use these trails should step up to make sure their favorite places are being well taken care of.
The Lolo offers a variety of volunteer opportunities throughout the year. These range from single-day projects to long-term commitments. And while the forest cannot solicit donations as government agency, a number of nonprofit groups like the National Forest Foundation _ and the local Nordic ski clubs _ would be happy to accept donations in any amount. Forest supervisors ought to build on existing partnerships before resorting to new fees.
It’s clear that many people love these trails and are willing to contribute to their upkeep. The Lolo National Forest need only provide clear information about its needs, and these people will undoubtedly pitch in to meet those needs. Lacking that information, however, they are right to oppose any additional, compulsory charge to access their local ski trails.
The Forest Service has a ways to go to build a convincing case that these fees are urgently necessary. It should start by better communicating its costs, and allowing time for volunteers to fill those gaps first.
If it turns out that donations and volunteers aren’t enough to meet the needs, then the Forest Service will be on much firmer footing in calling for a mandatory fee. But it should make sure that any fees are applied as equitably as possible, to spread the burden as thinly as possible among all users.
In the case of the Seeley Creek and Pattee Canyon trails, that would mean a year-round parking fee rather than a winter-only fee. Those fees would have to go directly to trail and trailhead facility maintenance at those sites.
And if the forest is going to start charging a mandatory fee to pay for Nordic ski trail grooming, it will have to begin providing those services itself instead. And that would be a shame.
The Nordic clubs’ efforts are the type of public-private partnership that should be encouraged. The Lolo National Forest should work to foster that relationship as it explores this issue and not take steps that could weaken it.
In addition to opposition from local ski clubs, the fee proposals have received dozens of public comments ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline. Forest supervisors should heed those concerns and hold off on new fees.
To learn more about the fee proposal and submit your own comments, visit www.fs.usda.gov/goto/r1recfee or go to the Forest Service’s interactive website. Comments can be emailed to r1recfee@fs.fed.us or sent by regular mail to Lolo National Forest, Attn. Rec Fee Proposal, 24 Fort Missoula Road, Missoula, MT 59804.
Editorial: https://bit.ly/2ow06pc
___
The Helena Independent Record, Sept. 29, on improving high school ACT scores:
Although Helena’s latest ACT scores have again bested the state average, high schools as great as ours should be aiming even higher.
A total of 9,570 high school juniors throughout Montana, including 628 in Helena, took the ACT in the spring of this year to meet federal reporting requirements.
The average composite scores came in at 20.73 for Helena High and 20.58 for Capital High, which performed well above the state average of 19.61. Only three of the 15 AA high schools in Montana performed better than Helena’s two high schools: Bozeman with 22, Missoula Hellgate with 21.17 and Missoula Sentinel with 20.89.
By that comparison, Helena’s schools appear to be doing great when it comes to standardized testing. However, as school district Superintendent Tyler Ream correctly pointed out, there’s still room for improvement.
The Montana University System generally requires a score of 22 or higher for first-time freshman admission, which shows that the high schools in Helena and throughout the state still have a ways to go.
According to information from the Montana Office of Public Instruction, the latest test scores indicate that only 32% of Montana students and 39% of Helena students who completed this test this spring are ready for college. While college is not a good fit for every student, all students should have the knowledge, skills and abilities they need to pursue a higher education if they choose to do so by the time they graduate from Helena Public Schools.
Of course, a student’s ability to fill in the correct bubbles on a two hour and 55 minute exam does not show the whole picture. Some students who performed poorly on the ACT will undoubtedly go on to be very successful in their future college and career endeavors, and some who scored well will struggle.
But standardized test scores do offer a general idea of how well students understand the basics of English, math, reading and science, which they will use for the rest of their lives.
Improving Helena’s test scores will mean more opportunities for Helena students. And we’re confident that our schools can make that happen under the leadership of Ream and his excellent team of educators.
Editorial: https://bit.ly/2ovMXfR
Please read our comment policy before commenting.