Contents of this issue:
- Swartz Creek considers creating charter school
- Grand Rapids contracts for custodial services
- Genesee County voters approve school taxes
- Flint schools pink slip another 28 employees
- Romulus expands schools of choice policy
SWARTZ CREEK CONSIDERS CREATING CHARTER SCHOOL
SWARTZ CREEK, Mich. — The Swartz Creek school district is
considering establishing a charter public school for its
alternative education students, according to The Flint Journal.
The earliest the school would open is the fall of 2009, and it
would be the first charter public school authorized by a
conventional school district in Genesee County, the Journal
reported.
"As a school district and board we've made a decision to be
prescriptive in education for each child," school board member
Dallas Gatlin, who chairs the academic achievement committee,
told The Journal. "We can't pick and choose which students we're
going to do that for."
By establishing a charter, the district will grant the school
autonomy and allow it to experiment with different educational
methods. The school may also have flexible learning schedules,
which could include three sessions over 12 hours daily and a
year-round program. The school would serve students in grades 9-12 and the goal would be to get them on track to graduate by age
18, according to The Journal.
"It's pretty obvious the system that was in place didn't work
for these kids," Superintendent Jeff Pratt told The Journal. "By
chartering, it allows us as a school district to focus attention
on specific populations in a way different from the majority of
students we have."
SOURCE:
The Flint Journal, "Swartz Creek School District will
investigate creation of charter school for next school year,"
May 9, 2008
https://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/index.ssf/2008/05/swartz_creek_school_district_w.html
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "District hires company to provide
alternative education," Nov. 14, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/9094
GRAND RAPIDS CONTRACTS FOR CUSTODIAL SERVICES
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids board of education has
hired a company to fill vacant part-time custodial positions,
according to The Grand Rapids Press.
The board unanimously approved a deal with CSM Services through
the end of the school year, which will cost the district
$55,000. The recommendation has been made to sign a three-year
contract with the company. The deal was a result of a high
turnover rate among part-time custodians working for the
district. During the 2006-2007 school year, the district had 55
custodial positions and by the end of the year, 22 of those
employees left. Under the contract, current employees will keep
their jobs, but any new hires will be made by CSM, The Press
reported.
"When we're talking about school safety, that also means keeping
the buildings clean to keep people from getting sick," Grand
Rapids Education Association union President Paul Helder told
The Press. "They haven't been filling these jobs, and then the
buildings are dirty, and you have problems like roaches."
Board member David Allen still backs the plan.
"One of the things people bring up when they hear 'the p word' —
privatization — is that we won't be able to control who is
coming into our schools," Allen told The Press. "But this plan
doesn't eliminate any jobs and is more to deal with the
incredible turnover in these positions."
SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "Private service to clean Grand Rapids
Schools," May 6, 2008
https://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-41/12100797701
91930.xml&coll=6
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Custodial Contracting," in
"A School Privatization Primer," June 26, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/8713
GENESEE COUNTY VOTERS APPROVE SCHOOL TAXES
FLINT, Mich. — Voters in Beecher, Fenton and Goodrich agreed to
local school taxes, according to The Flint Journal.
In Beecher, 75 percent of voters approved an 18-mill levy on
nonhomestead property. If the measure had failed, the district
would have lost $931,000 in revenue. Parent Karen Spiller voted
for the proposal so the schools can remain on par with other
districts, The Journal reported.
"I voted for the millage because Beecher students should have
the same opportunities as other schools," Spiller, the parent of
a high school senior, told The Journal.
Sixty-eight percent of Fenton voters approved the district's 18-mill levy on nonhomestead property. Residents also voted in
favor of a 3-mill increase to be used if there is a "Headlee
rollback." The measures provide the district with $5.2 million
in additional general fund revenues, according to The Journal.
Goodrich voters also approved a 3-mill Headlee override, giving
the district an additional $239,000.
SOURCE:
The Flint Journal, "Despite struggling economy nonhomestead
renewals approved in Beecher and Fenton schools; Goodrich voters
pass Headlee override proposal," May 7, 2008
https://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/index.ssf/2008/05/despite_struggling_economy_non.html
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Local Government," in "A
Michigan School Money Primer," May 30, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/8550
FLINT SCHOOLS PINK SLIP ANOTHER 28 EMPLOYEES
FLINT, Mich. — The Flint board of education voted to send 28
more lay-off notices to employees, according to The Flint
Journal.
Superintendent Linda Thompson said the pink slips — sent to
parent facilitators and behavioral specialists — are
precautionary and, more than likely, temporary. The layoffs go
into effect on June 13, but will be rescinded before next school
year when the district receives $16 million in federal Title I
aid, The Journal reported.
Community member Belinda Mack isn't too worried about the
layoffs.
"It's sad some people don't see the big picture of what's going
on," Mack told The Journal. "We don't have the money and we have
to do what we can to keep the children we have. Everyone should
take a business class to understand."
The 28 pink slips are in addition to the 240 layoff notices sent
to teachers and administrators in April. The district will also
close four schools to help alleviate budgeted spending that is
$12 million over expected revenues, according to The Journal.
SOURCE:
The Flint Journal, "Flint schools send 28 more lay-off notices,
hope to bring staff back," May 7, 2008
https://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/index.ssf/2008/05/flint_schools_send_28_more_lay.html
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "School District Budgeting,"
in "A Michigan School Money Primer," May 30, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/8560
ROMULUS EXPANDS SCHOOLS OF CHOICE POLICY
ROMULUS, Mich. — The Romulus Community Schools has revised its
schools of choice policy and will now allow students assigned to
other districts, in grades kindergarten through eighth grade, to
enroll in its schools, according to The Romulus Roman.
The district first experimented with schools of choice two years
ago and only opened enrollment in one of its elementary schools.
Last year the district expanded its policy by creating schools
of choice slots in two elementary schools. Now, there will be 10
schools of choice spots per grade at each of the four elementary
schools, as well as at the middle school, The Roman reported.
"What happened last year is that we had too many students at the
facilities we advertised," Superintendent Carl Weiss told The
Roman. "This strategically is a little different — we can place
the students at any building where we have the room."
Last year, 38 students from outside the district chose to attend
Romulus schools. District officials hope to fill all of the
available schools of choice slots through an advertising
campaign this summer. If the district fills all available slots,
it will receive about $700,000 in additional revenue.
"I think everyone knows that all of the schools around us are
doing this," Weiss told The Roman. "We haven't had any
complaints since we started taking students, so we have a lot of
support."
SOURCE:
The Romulus Roman, "School of Choice plan is expanded,"
May 8, 2008
http://www.journalgroup.com/Romulus/7610/school-of-choice-plan-is-expanded
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Conclusion: Competition Is
Improving Public Schools for Michigan Children," in "The Impact
of Limited School Choice on Public School Districts,"
July 24, 2000
https://www.mackinac.org/2979
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Foundation Allowance:
General Education," in "A Michigan School Money Primer,"
May 30, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/8628#nonassign
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education
Report (
https://www.educationreport.org),
an online 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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