Contents of this issue:
- Independent schools fundraise to keep tuition low
- Detroit Public Schools restructures to save $1 million
- GRPS wants to offer International Baccalaureate
- Holton teachers union battles over insurance for four years
- Huron teachers switch health insurance, get raises
- Comment and win an iPod
INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS FUNDRAISE TO KEEP TUITION LOW
GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. — Independent schools in Genesee County
are seeing decreases in enrollment, but are fundraising in
creative ways to keep tuition low for parents who want an
alternative to state education, according to The Flint Journal.
The 23 independent schools in Genesee County have a combined
enrollment of 4,469 students, a drop of about 167 from last
year. Tuition at Holy Rosary increased $100 from last year to
$2,850. Ken Bachman, the school's principal and business
manager, said the cost of educating each student is about
$5,000. He also said that the school is always looking for ways
to supplement that cost, The Journal reported.
"We are always fundraising," Bachman told The Journal. "If I had
as much per-pupil payment (as) public schools receive, I could
do a fine job for that amount of money."
Tuition costs for private schools within the county range from
$2,500 to $8,950, The Journal reported. Private schools receive
some financial aid from the federal government for free and
reduced lunch programs, shared-time with public schools or for
bus transportation. Many schools look to donations to keep
running, and Catholic schools also receive some support from
their parish. Additionally, private schools are almost
continually looking to fundraise, according to The Journal.
Faith Baptist School has two large annual fundraisers. One is
called, "Ed-U-Share," and raises about $25,000 to $30,000 each
year for tuition assistance for widows and fathers who have lost
their job. The school also receives about $50,000 to $60,000 a
year through monthly pledges. At Holy Rosary, a group of staff
and students run concessions during events at the Palace of
Auburn Hills to raise money so teachers can send their students
to the school at no charge, The Journal reported.
Teachers in private schools usually receive about two-thirds of
what a typical public school teacher is paid, but many find it
worth it, The Journal reported. Sue Griffin started teaching at
Valley Christian directly out of college 25 years ago. She
teaches civics, law, algebra and American history while also
serving as the school's athletic director and volleyball coach.
"A lot of people see money as the most important thing in their
lives," Griffin told The Journal. "I know money is necessary,
but for me, it's helping teach kids in the best environment you
can get."
SOURCE:
The Flint Journal, "Costs squeezing private schools,"
Oct. 31, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/news/flintjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-46/1192942340134560.xml& coll=5&thispage=1
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Private School Costs vs.
Public School Costs," in "The Universal Tuition Tax Credit: A
proposal to Advance Parental Choice in Education," Nov. 13, 1997
https://www.mackinac.org/1118
DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS RESTRUCTURES TO SAVE $1 MILLION
DETROIT — The Detroit Board of Education has approved a
reorganization plan that will save the district $1 million,
according to The Detroit News.
As a part of its state-mandated deficit elimination plan, DPS
was supposed to reduce its central office staff. Superintendent
Connie Calloway proposed collapsing positions and redefining job
descriptions. The plan will result in salary savings of
$939,391, The News reported.
The deputy superintendent for instruction and associate
superintendent for curriculum and professional development
became a single position, as did the general counsel and the
deputy general counsel/acting director of risk management. In
addition to eliminating positions, Calloway did create a spot
for a director of accountability, according to The News.
The board approved the measure 7-3, with dissenters citing a
lack of information about the restructuring. But Calloway thinks
the plan will reduce a lot of the overlap found in these central
administrative positions.
"What we really had to do is look at what moves this district
forward and not protect positions or people," Calloway told The
News. "What we saw was a lot of duplication."
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Detroit schools board OKs reorganization
touted to save $1M," Oct. 25, 2007
https://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071025/SCHOOLS/710250442/1026
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Habit 1: Minimize
Administrative Costs," in "The Six Habits of Fiscally
Responsible Public School Districts," Dec. 3, 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4895
GRPS WANTS TO OFFER INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE
Grand Rapids, Mich. — Grand Rapids Public Schools is working to
bring the International Baccalaureate program to City High
School, as well as develop a specialized curriculum around
"economicology," according to The Grand Rapids Press.
Local philanthropist Peter Wedge donated $40,000 to fund the
school's application for IB designation and to develop the
economicology program, which is to be centered on the notion
that a healthy economy and environment are compatible. Support
for both programs came from 42 of the high school's 44 teachers,
The Press reported.
There are currently 11 IB schools in Michigan. The program
offers rigorous coursework and includes an international
element. If the school is accepted by IB, faculty will start to
be trained to teach the courses, according to The Press.
GRPS Superintendent Bernard Taylor said this is important to
continue the strong reputation the high school holds, while also
remaining competitive.
"Any school that is great wants to get even better," Taylor told
The Press. "Because if you sit back and rest on your laurels,
other people are going to catch up with you."
SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "City High wants to go global,"
Oct. 25, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-38/119332038057880.xml&coll=6
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Dearborn: A Traditional
Public School District Accepts the Charter School Challenge," in
"The Impact of Limited School Choice on Public School
Districts," June 24, 2000
https://www.mackinac.org/2977
HOLTON TEACHERS UNION BATTLES OVER INSURANCE FOR FOUR YEARS
MUSKEGON, Mich. — The Michigan Education Association has been at
odds with the Holton board of education over insurance for more
than four years, leaving teachers without a contract, according
to The Muskegon Chronicle.
The board recently settled a deal with the district's support
staff that included a 2 percent pay increase and a switch in
insurance from the Michigan Education Special Services
Association to Priority Health. This is expected to save the
district $50,000 each year. Support staff will also receive a
$250 bonus for agreeing, The Chronicle reported. MESSA is a
third-party administrator affiliated with the Michigan Education
Association school employees union.
The board is hoping its 70 teachers will follow the lead of the
support staff and switch insurance plans. The lengthy
negotiations have sparked the interest of the Education Action
Group, which looks to increase public awareness of the health
insurance issue and reach out to public school teachers. EAG has
sent two 1,000-person mailings to "likely voters" in the
district, according to The Chronicle. The first outlined the
insurance options offered to teachers during bargaining. Insurance through MESSA Super Care currently costs the district
$1,320 per employee each month. Insurance through Priority
Health would cost $1,022 per month, resulting in savings of
$250,000 for the district, The Chronicle reported. Other options
include less expensive MESSA plans and SET SEG.
The second flier sent by EAG claimed that the Michigan Education
Association Uniserv Director assigned to Holton teachers
received a 7.7 salary increase, while teachers went without a
contract. Kyle Olson, EAG's vice president for strategy, hopes
this will inspire teachers to question the effectiveness of
their union bargaining unit.
Kyle Olson is the brother of Ryan Olson, director of education
policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. The Mackinac
Center distributes Michigan Education Digest.
"I just want the teachers to think 'What are we getting for our
dues?'" Kyle Olson told The Chronicle. "Here they've gone half a
decade without a contract, without a raise."
Uniserv Director Kathleen Maka told The Chronicle her raise was
2.5 percent, and the additional money was paid to her for unused
vacation time.
SOURCE:
The Muskegon Chronicle, "Support personnel have new contract;
teachers still don't," Oct. 19, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/news/chronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-12/11928053714270.xml&coll=8
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Selective Moral Outrage,"
Sept. 24, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/9003
HURON TEACHERS SWITCH HEALTH INSURANCE, GET RAISES
HURON, MI — The Huron Schools board of education voted
unanimously to grant teachers a 2 percent pay increase for two
years, while also making the switch to a less expensive health
insurance plan, according to the Monroe News.
The contract will be retroactive from Sept. 1 and will run
through Aug. 31, 2009. The board and teachers union agreed to
switch health coverage to a less expensive Choices II plan
through the Michigan Education Special Services Association, the
News reported. MESSA is a third-party administrator affiliated
with the Michigan Education Association school employees union.
As a result of the pay increase, a starting salary for a teacher
with a bachelor's degree will be $37,687. An employee with those
qualifications would be able to earn $67,085 after 25 years of
employment, according to the News.
SOURCE:
Monroe News, "Huron School board okays pacts with teachers,
superintendent," Oct. 26, 2007
http://www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/NEWS01/110260046/-1/NEWS
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Growing number of districts seek
solutions to costly health insurance?" Dec. 15, 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/7479
COMMENT AND WIN AN IPOD
MIDLAND, Mich. — Go to
https://educationreport.org and post a comment for a chance to win one of three iPods.
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education
Report (
https://www.educationreport.org),
a quarterly newspaper
published by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
(
https://www.mackinac.org),
a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan
research and educational institute.
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