Contents of this issue:
- Report: Michigan ranks 16th in nation for school funding
- Napoleon schools contract for custodial work
- Ex-DPS Superintendent indicted on bribery charges
- Ecorse schools consider background checks on volunteers
- Grand Rapids schools says it cannot afford nature center
- Win a gift certificate
REPORT: MICHIGAN RANKS 16TH IN NATION FOR SCHOOL FUNDING
WASHINGTON, D.C. — According to a recent report from the U.S.
Census Bureau, Michigan ranks 16th among states in educational
spending and has seen a steady increase in the amount spent over
the last decade, according to Booth Newspapers.
Michigan ranked 15th in 2003-2004 by spending $9,072 per-pupil
but has moved to 16th, spending $9,329. In 1997-1998, Michigan
ranked 12th in per-pupil spending, Booth Newspapers reported.
"Other states are investing in education, and we're disinvesting
in education," Tom White, executive director of the Michigan
School Business Officials, told Booth Newspapers.
Others say spending is not what needs to be measured, but
achievement.
"When you look at the state as a whole, the problem is not a lack
of spending," Richard Studley, spokesman for the Michigan State
Chamber of Commerce told Booth Newspapers. "The problem is a lack
of clear focus on education excellence. Having the most expensive
schools in the country is not a race Michigan can afford to win."
SOURCE:
Booth Newspapers, "Michigan drops to 16th among states for school
funding," May 29, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-8/118013100223470.xml&coll=1
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "A Michigan School Money
Primer," May 30, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/8534
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Money Myth,"
Feb. 23, 2006
https://www.mackinac.org/7599
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Rally for the Classroom, Not
the Budget Process," June 21, 2006
https://www.mackinac.org/7141
NAPOLEON SCHOOLS CONTRACT FOR CUSTODIAL WORK
NAPOLEON, Mich. — The Napoleon schools will save nearly $1
million over three years after the board of education voted 7-0
to hire a private cleaning company. The district will save
$305,000 a year by contracting with Enviro-Clean, according to
The Jackson Citizen Patriot. This is equivalent to an effective
per-pupil funding increase of $184.
The district will spend almost half of what it currently spends
for cleaning services. Members of the custodial staff picketed at
the board meeting because they were upset with the district's
unwillingness to discuss the plan, The Citizen Patriot reported.
According to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, school
districts under Michigan law do not have to negotiate with
employee unions about decisions to contract for non-instructional
services.
"We have no choice," Superintendent Jim Graham told The Citizen
Patriot. "This happens to be one area that we can cut that does
not affect our commitment to students."
SOURCES:
The Jackson Citizen Patriot, "District hires firm to replace
workers," May 30, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/news/citpat/index.ssf?/base/news-21/1180533903117780.xml&coll=3&thispage=1
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Effective Funding Increase
from Competitive Contracting in Selected Michigan School
Districts," June 5, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/8222
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "(3) Prohibited Subjects" in
"A Collective Bargaining Primer for Michigan School Board
Members," Feb. 28, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/8281
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Do private employees in public
schools provide the same quality of service as public employees
in public schools? Yes," Feb. 23, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8254
Michigan Education Report, "Profit has a role in public schools,"
Feb. 23, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8250
Michigan Education Report, "Map: School contracting continues to
grow," Feb. 23, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/archives/2007/mer2007-01maps.pdf
EX-DPS SUPERINTENDENT INDICTED ON BRIBERY CHARGES
DALLAS — Former Detroit Public Schools Superintendent William F.
Coleman III has been indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges
associated with technology contracts while he was employed with
the Dallas Independent School District, according to The Detroit
News.
Another former Dallas school official, Ruben B. Bohuchot, who
served as the district's chief technology officer, was indicted
with Coleman and Frankie Logyang Wong, a Texas businessman, The
News reported.
Coleman was charged with creating a company that allegedly
received $256,850 from Wong's company, Micro Systems Engineering
Inc. Bohuchot and Coleman then allegedly attempted to steer
technology contracts to the company, according to The News. In
October, the DPS school board took action against Coleman,
charging that he misled them about his relationship with a
technology vendor bidding for a contract, The News reported.
Bertram Marks, Coleman's attorney, has received no formal notice
of an indictment and said Coleman is trying to fight corruption.
"If there is an indictment, I am absolutely positive that Mr.
Coleman will be fully exonerated. Mr. Coleman is cooperating with
the FBI to root out corruption. He certainly has not been a part
of the corruption," Marks told The News.
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Ex-Detroit schools chief Coleman indicted on
bribery charges in Texas," May 29, 2007
https://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070529/UPDATE/705290413
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Ex-DPS superintendent files lawsuit
against district," May 15, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8529
Michigan Education Digest, "DPS creates inspector general
position," May 8, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8521
Michigan Education Digest, "DPS to re-bid IT contract,"
Oct. 17, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/8008
ECORSE SCHOOLS CONSIDER BACKGROUND CHECKS ON VOLUNTEERS
ECORSE, Mich. — The Ecorse school district is considering
conducting background checks on its volunteers after a volunteer
basketball coach was arrested with regard to a teen's death from
a drug overdose, according to The Detroit News.
Deleon Alexander II, 28, is charged with providing cocaine and
ecstasy to Stephanie Brown, 17, which reportedly resulted in her
death from an overdose, The News reported. The state requires all
school employees to undergo a background check, but The News
reported that not many districts perform them on volunteers. Ecorse did not run a background check on Alexander, but may
consider implementing a measure to ensure the safety of students
who interact with volunteers, according to The News.
"They probably will (require background checks) after this,"
Ecorse board Trustee Alean Nixon told The News. "He's not an
employee... (so) we did not do a background check. Maybe in the
future it would be a good idea."
Some districts, like Flint, Wyandotte and Livonia, complete
background checks on some or all of their volunteers. Donna Oser,
executive director of the Michigan Parent Teacher Student
Association, said districts should strongly consider implementing
screening policies for volunteers, according to The News.
"Our first concern is always the safety of children," Oser told
The News. "But it's also important to encourage parents to be
involved with their child's school. It's important for districts
to develop policies that will not create impediments for
volunteering."
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Death prompts look at volunteers,"
May 28, 2007
https://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070528/METRO01/705280320/1006
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "List of convicts working in schools
slated for end of March," March 7, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7639
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Parents Still Have an Option
to Check Kids' Safety," Feb. 2, 2006
https://www.mackinac.org/7574
Michigan Education Report, "The three P's of school safety:
parents, prevention, and police," Nov. 1, 2000
https://www.educationreport.org/3134
GRAND RAPIDS SCHOOLS SAYS IT CANNOT AFFORD NATURE CENTER
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — After three years of operating the
Blandford Nature Center, Grand Rapids Public Schools is trying to
back out of a 20-year lease and turn control over to a nonprofit
organization, according to The Grand Rapids Press.
The district hopes to turn the nature center over to Mixed
Greens, a group that teaches students how to grow gardens and
learn about the outdoors. Former Superintendent Bert Bleke leased
the nature center for $1 a year with the help of donors to cover
the rest of the cost. But a tight budget has made cutting staff
and programs the only way to preserve the nature center, The
Press reported.
"As a taxpayer, I have to applaud the schools for getting out of
the nature center business," Mixed Greens Executive Director Lisa
Rose Starner told The Press. "And if they go this route, they'll
be finding a creative way to retain the programming that
attracted them to the center in the first place."
SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "Blandford too costly for GR schools,"
June 1, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-36/1180701370195610.xml&coll=6
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "A Michigan School Money
Primer," May 30, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/8534
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Six Habits of Fiscally
Responsible Public School Districts," Dec. 3, 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4891
WIN A GIFT CERTIFICATE
MIDLAND, Mich. — Michigan Education Report introduces a new
online forum dedicated to discussing Michigan education issues.
Available at
https://educationreport.org, the site features timely news about Michigan schools, a variety of open forums and the chance to participate in an opinion survey on a current
education issue. Those who register and comment on stories will
be entered in a drawing for a $50 gift certificate.
The summer 2007 edition of Michigan Education Report readers will
find articles about:
research concluding that consolidating school districts
is not the best way to save money in education;
the first year at one of Michigan's newest private
schools, Trinitas Classical School in Grand Rapids;
incentive pay programs for teachers in Michigan
districts;
schools using radio, television and billboards to market
themselves;
an update on the country's first statewide school voucher
program in Utah.
Michigan Education Report is available online at
www.educationreport.org.
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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