Contents of this issue:
- Columbia schools contracts for substitutes, coaches
- Charter public school expanding
- Ishpeming teachers union rejects cost savings
- Saginaw loss of students a "victory"
- DPS enrollment could fall 10,000 again
- Comment and enter to win an iPod
COLUMBIA SCHOOLS CONTRACTS FOR SUBSTITUTES
BROOKLYN, Mich. — Columbia Public Schools will save about $30,000
a year after voting to contract for substitute teachers and
athletic coaches, according to The Jackson Citizen Patriot.
The district's board of education voted to hire Professional
Contract Management Inc. to oversee the payroll for substitutes
and coaches, The Citizen Patriot reported. The district will
realize the savings because it will no longer have to contribute
to retirement funds for those employees.
Since those employees are not full-time, they would not be able
to accumulate enough years of service to ever collect on the
retirement benefits, Superintendent Brent Beamish told The
Citizen Patriot. The contract employees will get 4 percent more
pay because of the savings.
"I think it's a win-win situation for everyone involved," Beamish
told The Citizen Patriot, adding that the savings will go toward
new books for students.
"There's some forethought, considering that (Gov. Jennifer)
Granholm wants (schools) to consolidate services," board
Secretary Jeff Arnett told The Citizen Patriot. "That's what
we're doing already."
SOURCE:
The Jackson Citizen Patriot, "Board approves plan that may save
$30,000," Sept. 11, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/news/citpat/index.ssf?/base/news-22/1189519557160660.xml&coll=3
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "A School Privatization Primer
for Michigan School Officials, Media and Residents,"
June 26, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/8691
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Survey 2007: More Growth in
School Support Service Privatization," Aug. 16, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/8881
Michigan Education Report, "Beyond brooms, burgers and buses,"
Nov. 21, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/8032
CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOL EXPANDING
FLINT, Mich. — International Academy of Flint will double in size
with a 52,000-square-foot addition costing $17 million, according
to The Flint Journal.
International Academy, the Flint area's largest charter public
school, will get 23 new classrooms, a testing hall, science lab,
auditorium and gym, The Journal reported. Parents of about 925
students chose to enroll their children at International Academy
this year, and enrollment could reach 1,200 by 2009, The Journal
reported.
Proceeds from the sale of tax-free bonds will pay for the
project, according to The Journal.
"It's pretty incredible a public school academy ... would be
expanding their facility at the level we're doing," school
Director Traci Cormier told The Journal.
SOURCE:
The Flint Journal, "Project to add gym, labs, more to Int'l
Academy," Sept. 11, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/news/flintjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-46/1189520470206770.xml&coll=5
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "A charter challenge: Finding an
affordable building can be a hurdle," Aug. 15, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8826
Michigan Education Report, "Privately managed public school
raises achievement for minority students," May 30, 2002
https://www.educationreport.org/4371
ISHPEMING TEACHERS UNION REJECTS COST SAVINGS
ISHPEMING, Mich. — The Ishpeming teachers union voted down a
contract that would have saved the district $200,000 a year,
according to The Marquette Mining Journal.
The contract offer would have required teachers to pay up to a
$20 co-pay for their own prescription medicine, The Journal
reported, and would have given teachers pay raises reaching 2.5
percent in the final year.
Union President Robert Fox told The Journal the offer was unfair.
"The district is still profiting," Fox said. "We're conceding a
lot here."
SOURCE:
The Marquette Mining Journal, "Ishpeming district, teachers
continue talks," Sept. 11, 2007
http://www.miningjournal.net/stories/articles.asp?articleID=19900
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Districts look to cut insurance bills
through health savings accounts," Aug. 15, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8827
Michigan Education Digest, "MEA attempts to reduce health care
costs," Sept. 4, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8988
Michigan Education Report, "Profit has a role in public schools,"
Feb. 23, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8250
SAGINAW LOSS OF STUDENTS A "VICTORY"
SAGINAW, Mich. — Enrollment in the Saginaw School District is
below 10,000 for the first time in 50 years, according to The
Saginaw News.
About 9,950 students are attending classes, a drop of about 560
compared to last year, The News reported. The district had
anticipated a drop of about 600 students.
"I'd call (this) a victory; at least we haven't lost any more
than 600," school board President Norman Braddock told The News.
"We feel confident that we did everything we could."
The district would not tell The News how much money was spent on
a marketing campaign that included billboards and media
advertising aimed at keeping students assigned to the district
enrolled, according to The News.
"It confirms for us that this community supports its public
schools," Superintendent Gerald Dawkins told The News. "It's too
early to call it a moral victory, but we like our chances."
Enrollment for 2006 was about 840 students lower than 2005, and
an additional 230 students left the district last spring, The
News reported.
SOURCE:
The Saginaw News, "When a loss is a win," Sept. 13, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/news/saginawnews/index.ssf?/base/news-24/1189693339266320.xml&coll=9
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Saginaw public charter school working
to open on time," Aug. 28, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8982
Michigan Education Digest, "Saginaw County schools face
competition from new charter," July 24, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8806
DPS ENROLLMENT COULD FALL 10,000 AGAIN
DETROIT — Enrollment for Detroit Public Schools could drop by
10,000 students again, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Currently, about 106,000 students assigned to the district are
enrolled, which is 5,000 fewer than expected, the Free Press
reported. DPS ended the 2006-2007 school year with about 116,000
students. The Detroit News in early September, however, reported
that Superintendent Connie Calloway said building principals had
told her about 115,000 students were enrolled.
The discrepancy in enrollment figures could mean DPS is over
budget by about $37 million, the Free Press reported. If the
district falls below 100,000 students, it would lose its "first-class" status under state law, according to the Free Press,
meaning more charter public schools could open in the district to
serve the needs of parents and students.
SOURCES:
Detroit Free Press, "Schools may have to cut $37 million,"
Sept. 14, 2007
https://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070914/NEWS01/709140429/1001/NEWS
The Detroit News, "Superintendent: More students than expected
enrolled in Detroit schools this year," Sept. 4, 2007
https://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070904/UPDATE/709040398
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "DPS enrollment down by thousands,"
Feb. 23, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8237
Michigan Education Digest, "Detroit school board votes to close
34 schools," April 10, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8373
COMMENT AND ENTER TO 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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