Contents of this issue:
Public schools to receive more money
Three brothers, three valedictorians
Driver fired for abandoning students
School election date questioned
Jackson schools pay union president's salary
Growing charter school expects more students at new location
PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO RECEIVE MORE MONEY
LANSING, Mich. — Michigan's public schools could receive up to
$230 more per student under competing plans now before the
Legislature, according to The Ann Arbor News.
Districts' high expenditures on health insurance and retirement
plans, however, are expected to consume much of the additional
funding, The News reported.
The Michigan Legislature is considering three plans that would
increase the foundation allowance when the state's fiscal year
begins Oct. 1. Up to another $60 per student could be available
for districts with declining enrollment, The News reported.
"The increase in new money will not even cover the contractual
obligations (of the district)," Lincoln Superintendent Fred
Williams told The News.
Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, said some districts will benefit
more from the increased funding because they've been able to keep
benefits costs in check.
"The districts that are effective in controlling costs will be
able to put money in the classroom," he told The News.
Districts received an increase of $175 per pupil this year,
according to The News. Other legislation being discussed could
give middle schools $80 per student for math and science classes.
The House, Senate and Gov. Jennifer Granholm have put forth plans
that increase the minimum foundation allowance to between $7,075
and $7,160 per student next year. The School Aid Fund will grow
by about $333 million, to $11.5 billion, even though a statewide
loss of about 8,400 students is expected, The News reported.
SOURCES:
The Ann Arbor News, "Rising costs could eat up much of new school
aid," June 1, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-18/114917293599980.xml?aanews?NEA&coll=2
MichiganVotes.org, "2006 House Bill 6033 (Mandate Additional
School Appropriations)"
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=47065
MichiganVotes.org "2006 House Bill 5796 (Appropriations:
"Omnibus" Budget)"
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=46104
MichiganVotes.org, "2005 House Bill 5436 (Spend Leftover School
Funds on Math Programs)"
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=42136
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Mandatory funding increase faces
uphill battle," May 25, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7722
Michigan Education Report, "Averaging our way to average,"
May 25, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7739
THREE BROTHERS, THREE VALEDICTORIANS
GLADWIN, Mich. — Eric Ball recently became the third of three
brothers to graduate as valedictorian from Gladwin High School,
according to The Bay City Times.
Eric's oldest brother, Ben, was co-valedictorian in 1994, while
his middle brother, Adam, achieved the honor alone in 1995, The
Times reported. Eric shared the honor with three other co-valedictorians.
"It's a lot of weight off your shoulders, after you finish,"
Eric, 18, told The Times. "It's pretty exciting, too, because
it's good to be here with my brothers and to share something like
this in common with them."
All three brothers participated in sports, had perfect attendance
throughout high school and maintained 4.0 grade-point averages,
The Times reported.
"These are disciplined young men," Principal Bill Shellenbarger
told The Times. "This is a beautiful story about two outstanding
parents who are very humble and unpretentious, but have a high
regard for scholastic excellence."
The boys' father, Benton Ball, is an industrial arts teacher at
Gladwin High School. Their mother, Lana, was a registered nurse
who returned to school to become a teacher, and now teaches
kindergarten in the district.
Ben, now 30, is a mechanical engineer at a paper company in
Minnesota. Adam, 29, is director of engineering for the Saginaw
County Road Commission.
SOURCE:
The Bay City Times, "Gladwin family knows how to make the grade,"
June 4, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-7/114941611386070.xml?bctimes?NEB&coll=4
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Homework Requires Teamwork —
Between Parents and Teachers," May 2, 2001
http://www.mackinac.org/3445
DRIVER FIRED FOR ABANDONING STUDENTS
GAYLORD, Mich. — A public school employee was fired from her job
as a bus driver with Gaylord Community Schools after making three
students get off a bus on a dirt road nearly two miles from their
homes, according to Booth Newspapers.
The driver, a seven-year district employee, allegedly made a
fourth-grader and two sixth-graders get off the bus May 22 after
they missed their stop, Booth reported.
SOURCES:
Booth Newspapers, "Bus driver fired for leaving students on dirt
road," June 12, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/business/index.ssf?/base/news-35/115016846125390.xml& storylist=mibusiness
Traverse City Record-Eagle, "Driver forced students off bus,
officials say," June 11, 2006
http://www.record-eagle.com/2006/jun/11bus.htm
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Granholm signs student safety bills,"
Oct. 4, 2005
http://www.educationreport.org/7373
Michigan Education Digest, "Ypsilanti could save $700,000 with
competitive busing contract," May 30, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7758
SCHOOL ELECTION DATE QUESTIONED
DETROIT — School districts across Michigan spent far more than
necessary to hold elections last month, according to The Detroit
News.
The May 2 elections cost Michigan taxpayers about $5 million
statewide, even in school districts with uncontested board seats.
Under a 2005 election consolidation law, schools have the choice
of holding elections on their own in May, or piggybacking with
local, state or federal elections in August or November, The News
reported.
House Bill 4755, introduced by Rep. Chris Ward, R-Brighton, would
further consolidate elections, forcing schools to pick a November
date for all regular school elections, according to
MichiganVotes.org. The bill passed in the House, 60-46, on May 3,
according to
MichiganVotes.org, and was assigned to the Senate
Government Operations Committee.
A May 2005 election cost Oakland County more than $700,000,
according to County Clerk Ruth Johnson.
"It really is irresponsible," Johnson told The News. "This is an
unusual and wonderful opportunity where a lot of money can be
saved and it doesn't have an impact on the classrooms or
teachers."
Johnson said the additional money spent by districts to hold May
elections is enough to buy 10,000 computers, 150,000 textbooks or
hire 100 new teachers, according to The News.
SOURCES:
The Detroit News, "School vote dates criticized," June 5, 2006
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006606050363
MichiganVotes.org, "2005 House Bill 4755 (Require school board
elections be in November)"
http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=39523
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Secret Ballot?" May 22, 2006
http://www.mackinac.org/7708
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Michigan Reforms Election
Calendar," June 22, 2005
http://www.mackinac.org/7142
JACKSON SCHOOLS PAY UNION PRESIDENT'S SALARY
JACKSON, Mich. — The Jackson Public Schools pays nearly $85,000
in salary and benefits to the president of the local teachers
union, even though the position has no teaching responsibilities,
according to The Jackson Citizen Patriot.
Mary Lou Konkle, president of the Jackson Education Association
the last 11 years, is considered "on leave" by the district, The
Citizen Patriot reported. She earns $55,721 in salary and another
$29,261 in benefits, spending her days representing the 450-member union in negotiations and other labor talks with the
district that pays her.
"It's a relic of the good financial times," Justin King,
executive director of the Michigan Association of School Boards,
told The Citizen Patriot. "I'm betting the district had a lot
less financial woes (then) than they do now."
Jackson Public Schools, with about 6,600 students, has lost
enrollment and been forced to lay off teachers for several years
in a row, according to The Citizen Patriot. The district
attempted to switch the cost for the position to the union in
past contract negotiations, but instead accepted a compromise
whereby Konkle works two hours a day for the district to oversee
a mentoring program for new teachers.
Jackson Superintendent Dan Evans told The Citizen Patriot the
district did not want to force the issue during contract talks.
His fear was that it could create a "stalemate," Evans told the
newspaper.
"That was one thing we gave in on," Evans told The Citizen
Patriot. "It has not been one of our highest priorities in
bargaining."
Districts of similar size do not pay the entire bill for the
local union president, The Citizen Patriot reported. Larger
districts such as Bay City and Battle Creek, as well as slightly
smaller Ypsilanti, split the cost of the position with the union.
Monroe, with a few hundred more students than Jackson, pays for a
few hours of leave time a year for the union president.
SOURCE:
The Jackson Citizen Patriot, "District pays for union leader,"
June 4, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-17/114941551745850.xml?jacitpat?NEJ&coll=3
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "A total disconnect," May 25, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7721
Michigan Education Digest, "Censured teachers union president
wants to keep office," April 4, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7661
GROWING CHARTER SCHOOL EXPECTS MORE STUDENTS AT NEW LOCATION
REDFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — An 11-year-old charter school that
prepares students for automotive, mechanical and technical
careers has moved to a new location and expects an increase of up
to 100 students by fall, according to The Detroit News.
Michigan Technical Academy High School, located on 8.5 acres in
Redford Township, has 250 students currently. Students wear lab
coats and protective eyeglasses while working in a 55,000-square-foot facility fixing vehicles, The News reported. About 30
percent of graduates go on to four-year colleges, while 60
percent go to community colleges or trade schools, Principal
Roger Sisler told The News.
Ramelle Quinn, 17 of Detroit, came to the school to learn
marketable skills before he heads off to Morehouse College in
Atlanta to study biomedical engineering.
"I wanted to get a trade before graduating from high school so I
could get a decent-paying job while in college," he told The
News.
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Charter high school gains needed space,"
June 2, 2006
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060602/METRO01/606020390/1026/SCHOOLS
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Charter schools continue to see
enrollment growth," March 7, 2005
http://www.educationreport.org/7621
Michigan Education Digest, "Metro Detroit charter school
growing," June 6, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7766
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education
Report (
http://www.educationreport.org),
a quarterly newspaper
with a circulation of nearly 150,000 published by the Mackinac
Center for Public Policy (
http://www.mackinac.org),
a private,
nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute.
Contact Managing Editor Ted O'Neil at
mailto:med@educationreport.org
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