Deep cuts likely as RC School Board prepares 2005/06 budget
The Rogers City Area Schools Board of Education announced plans Monday to take a hard look at the next year’s budget during the scheduled workshop meeting on January 24. The budget and finance committee asked the board to look at revenue projections and begin planning for the next fiscal year. Revised budget figures for 2004-2005 show projected revenue at $4,996,400 while expenses stand at $5,264,087, for a $267,687 shortfall.
Board treasurer Keith Gordon said the projected shortfall for next year was the most important issue facing the board.
“IT LOOKS LIKE that shortfall will rise through the year and, if we do nothing, we are looking at $592,000 that needs to be cut from next year’s budget,” he said. The board voted to reduce the fund equity account from 20 percent of the budget to 15 percent at Monday’s meeting in order to cover this year’s shortfall. “We have cut everything that we could without affecting jobs or bus routes, so there is no place else to turn,” Gordon said.
“Whether we have to do a hiring freeze, a purchasing freeze or a combination, we are in deep financial trouble,” said board member Richard Hanson. Board member Armand Loiselle added, “We discussed a number of points in the budget and finance committee that would result in significant cuts in spending. The workshop meeting in January will look at the details so we can decide what to do.” Board president Mike Marx said, “We kept waiting and waiting, they kept saying two or three years and it will get better but, now, it’s four or five years with nothing in sight. What else to report from the finance committee?” Gordon replied, “No good news, except, maybe that Oglebay-Norton is supposed to re-emerge from bankruptcy soon and we have an $80,000 tax bill pending with them.”
GLEN SMOLINSKI addressed the board during the public participation portion of the meeting. His concern was about bullying by a specific individual in the Grambau Center. School superintendent Ed Schultz interrupted the citizen to remind him that specific names of individuals could not be used in a public meeting if charges are being discussed. Schultz also said that a public board meeting was not the right forum for this type of complaint. He said the concerned parents should go to the teachers and the principal. Smolinski replied, “These things have been done already and, still, no result. My child has been hospitalized as a result of this bullying.”
The board meeting continued with other agenda items after the parent spoke. Loiselle brought up the public address (PA) system issue, saying it should not be relegated to another committee. The board agreed to amend the minutes of the last meeting to reflect Loiselle’s comments that specific action should be taken on the issue.
THE BOARD approved the employment of Heather Heidemann Nordenbrock as the high school drama club sponsor for the winter term. She will be paid $900 to organize and stage a musical production. Shultz noted that the school was still looking for someone to take on the drama production planned in the spring. Hiring of three volunteers athletic program volunteers was approved following background checks and recommendations of the administration. Mike Tulgestke and Matt Barsen will assist the boys basketball coaches and Jackie Quaine will be assisting with the junior varsity volleyball program.
The board reviewed a number of new policy recommendations from NEOLA. The school elections will be shifted to spring. Also, board members should vote on issues before the board unless they have a good reason to abstain. There are clarifications about certain disciplinary issues such as hazing and bullying. Hazing has been removed from the section on harassment and moved to its own category in the policy recommendations handbook. A new policy on environment, health and safety issues was discussed. The first reading of the policy was given and will go through to the next meeting for second reading and a decision by the board.
The new policy covers a wide range of issues from the classification of hazardous materials and abatement measures for things like asbestos and other banned products to indoor environmental quality and playground safety issues. A new law that will take effect on January 1 pertains to the adoption of plans and policies that deal with parental involvement in various school programs. Superintendent Shultz said, “Rogers City probably has more parental involvement than any school I have ever seen, we just need to publicize that.” The superintendent presented the board with self-evaluation forms. The board decided that the executive committee would look at the material outside of the meeting. “The board self-evaluation is probably too vague and we should look at that real hard,” said Marx.
K-12 PRINCIPAL Deborah Jones asked the board to approve community service recommendations for students in the high school. According to Jones, students must perform 40 hours of community service in order to qualify for scholarships and merit awards. “Sports, drama, band and similar programs do not qualify as community service,” Jones said. “Giving math tutoring in one of the other schools, for example, does qualify.” The board discussed the possibility that the Michigan Educational Assessment Program may be replaced by a nationally-known standardized testing program such as ACT (American College Testing Program). Jones concluded her remarks by asking the question, “If the MEAP is gone, how will we be able to say we are improving or not?”
Some other questions to the board about expenditures included the cost of window replacement due to vandalism.
Melissa Wozniak, in her first year as assistant principal, reported on elementary and middle school events and issues. “If anyone would have told me how much stuff goes on between Thanksgiving and the end of the year here, wow,” she said. She encouraged members of the board to attend the holiday dinner on December 16 at the elementary school around 11 a.m. It is a tradition for the board to help serve the children and guests. Wozniak also reported that the K-6 teachers have put the academic reports on-line with the Parent Connect web-based program.
SOME UPCOMING events were highlighted at the board meeting: Friday at 7:30 p.m. the high school will host a band concert. On December 22, at 7 p.m., students will be present a vocal program at the Rogers City Thea
Board member Jo Bush-Glenn provided an update from the Legislative Relations Network (LRN), which is a service of the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB). “The danger of a reduction in the $6,700 per student allotment has been averted for now but we really need to keep after the legislature to remind them it is their responsibility to fund the schools,” she said.
The student council advisor Chad Coolman addressed the board at the end of the meeting. He mentioned that there is a standing invitation for board members to stop in at 2:15 on the first Wednesday of the month to meet with the student council members. The first meeting will be on January 5.