Millersburg Elementary to stay open for now by 4 to 2 vote
by Angie Asam, Staff Writer
The Onaway school board met Tuesday evening and the meeting was dominated by one issue; the closure of Millersburg Elementary school (MES). At a budget workshop meeting on March 3 the board looked at a way of cutting the budget deficit and put the closure of the MES on the agenda for Tuesday?s board meeting.
The meeting began with superintendent Bob Szymoniak making a presentation on the 2009-2010 budget projections which indicated a $650,000 budget deficit if no changes were made to cut costs within the district. A change in how the district is allowed to spend Title One money also changes the budget. The district has been using Title One money to pay classroom teachers in the MES. Title One money can no longer be used that way and can only be used to pay supplemental teachers. Title One money is federal funding that is given to schools to help them make sure all children achieve success by reaching the standards.
Laying off four teachers and two paraprofessionals as well as closing the MES would save the district $319,000 in next year?s budget, if it happened.
Following Szymoniak?s presentation the crowd of nearly 80 people were given an opportunity to present/speak to the board. Sixteen of the citizens took the opportunity to make presentations to the board, echoing one another in many ways. They were concerned with the urgency at which the board was considering closing MES and that they had time to make a decision and should look at all possible alternatives before making such a decision.
They also were concerned that closing the school wasn?t fixing the budget problems but delaying them another few years by making the fund balance last longer. They also wondered what would happen to the building if indeed the board decided it would not be used as a school next year.
After hearing from all of the concerned citizens who wished to speak the board continued down the agenda. Four teachers were laid off; Dave McClellan, Steve Kowalski, Tricia Schell and Heather Peters, with deep regret on behalf of the board. In addition two paraprofessionals were also laid off with regret, Sharon Winfield and Tonya Corey. The next item on the agenda was the closure of the MES, the item the community had gathered to hear and the board saw as a major issue.
Superintendent Szymoniak read the recommendation from the policy, curriculum and personnel (PCP) committee on the issue. ?The board of education at both committee and in workshop has discussed the 2009-2010 budget. This budget has an anticipated deficit of $650,000. In an attempt to reduce the deficit four teachers and two paraprofessionals are on the board agenda tonight for contract renewal and lay off. This creates a vacancy of four classrooms in the district. Given that there are only five classrooms in use at the MES it made sense to move the remaining classroom from Millersburg to Onaway Elementary beginning in the 2009-2010 school year,? he read. At this time Szymoniak interjected for purposes of the audience, ?Please understand that I know as I read this I sound matter of fact but I am a Millersburg kid myself and I do not take this lightly,? he said.
Szymoniak then continued reading the recommendation from the PCP committee, ?This matter was compounded by the fact that Title One money was used to subsidize teacher salaries in MES. A recent audit by the office of field services of the Michigan Department of Education has indicated that this expenditure is no longer allowable. The recommendation that came out of committee was that beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, the entire elementary academic program for the Onaway Area Community School district be housed in the Onaway Elementary. Superintendent Bob Szymoniak is charged with working with Case Township, the Village of Millersburg and the Millersburg/Ocqueoc Business Association to see if a suitable use of the MES facility can be found to the benefit of the Millersburg community,? the memo ended.
Following hearing the recommendation from the PCP committee board member Sharon Lyon made a motion to close MES beginning with the 2009-2010 school year. The motion was then supported by board member Dan Heythaler.
?I would like to see further consideration before we shut the school down. I don?t feel that we are under any time restraints as of present that we need to shut down the school immediately. I would like to see the board take consideration in that and possibly discussing the budget further to see if we have any other alternatives,? said board president Mitch Winfield.
?I can appreciate the feeling of the community. I enjoyed Millersburg school a lot, I thought it was a wonderful place to go and teach one day a week. I?m looking at it from a business point of view and when I see that we have to lay off four teachers I wonder how are we going to staff anything. I don?t see a way out, I?d like there to be another way out but I just don?t see one at this point,? said Lyon.
The board would have to notify the state of Michigan by June 30 if they would not be renewing the building code or they would be responsible for the building regardless. If they did close the school they could still reverse the decision up until that point. ?I agree with Mitch (Winfield), we need to look at all options,? said board member Lee Ann Neelis.
Following the discussion of the issue the board took a roll call vote on the motion which was defeated by a four to two vote, keeping the school open as of now. The board is exploring other ways to mak
IN OTHER SCHOOL BOARD NEWS: ? Volunteer coaches for the spring sports season were approved. Those names being approved were Mike Crull, Jim Covett, Tony Friday, Dan Tebow, Don Preston, Andy Kroll, Lewis Robinson II, Chuck Chapman and Gary Bission. Dave McClellan was also approved as the new junior high track coach.
? Barb Hoffmeyer, Sarah Koves, Heather Kowalski and Amber Watson were all granted tenure by the board while Lexie Signor and Isabel Ramirez were granted contract extensions.
? Amendments were approved to be made to the paperwork on the new plow truck in order to make them comply with United States Department of Agriculture requirements.