Island Students Need 26 Credits To Earn Diploma
By Karen Gould

One additional credit hour will be required for graduation from Mackinac Island Public School beginning this year, for a total of 26 credit hours. Among them, students will now be required to have four credits (instead of three) in mathematics, science, social studies, in addition to the four credits already required in English.

The changes were approved during the Thursday, September 22 school board meeting and reflect a more concentrated effort to have students study each of the major curriculum areas each year, explained Superintendent Jack Dehring.

This year’s student handbook will reflect those policy changes, the new school start time of 8:20 a.m., and include minor modifications to athletic eligibility requirements and tardiness rules.

For athletic eligibility, the handbook will be changed to read, “If the athlete fails to maintain a C- or better grade or exhibits behavioral problems, they will be ineligible to play the following week. The week will begin on the following Monday.”

The tardiness rule has been changed to state “Upon the third tardy in a semester, the student will be sent a warning that their semester grade will be lowered by one-third of a grade when they reach their seventh tardy and that the grade will be further lowered by one-third on each succeeding tardy for that class.

“A notification of possible future grade reductions will be mailed to the parent/guardian.”

Also under the tardiness rule, any student later than 10 minutes will be considered absent and not tardy.

Mr. Dehring said there are 12 more students in the school this year, with a total of 82 children. He said the school could lose as many as 10 to 12 students as seasonal businesses close later this fall, and he believes at least two new students will begin classes in January.

He said the board should begin negotiations on a two-year contract with teachers in November.

The American College Test (ACT) test, he told the board, will be replacing the high school Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) test by 2006 and will affect the class of 2008.

The board appointed Jason St. Onge to the Legislative Relations Network. He will be the school liaison, review legislative reports and advise the Island board of any issues. As a member of the network, he should have at least one contact during the year with an area legislator and try to attend the annual meeting in Lansing.

The school will organize a golf team this year for students in grades eight through ten, said Mr. Dehring. There will be three or four off-island matches during the season. The school will work with Fritz George, the golf pro at Wawashkamo Golf Club, who has offered to give a couple of lessons and see if a connection can be made with the Professional Golf Association that has an adopt a school program. Mr. Dehring will look into finding a coach.

No board member volunteered to be the delegate to the assembly for the Michigan Association of School Boards on Thursday, October 27, in Lansing.

School board members learned that city administrators are in the early planning stages of establishing a community emergency shelter and the school may be the ideal location, because it is open year-around and has shower and cooking facilities.

The primary concern for emergency housing would be during the winter, when a blizzard could prevent travel to and from the Island and knock out power, said Kelly Bean, the mayor’s assistant. She said the emergency plan being drafted will address issues resulting from the Island being cut off from outside aid for one week.

A generator would be needed to power the school and a grant may be available to cover the cost, she told the board.

Mr. Dehring read a letter from the Michigan High School Athletic Association congratulating the school on having good sportsmanship with no complaints about athletics or the student body last year.

The next school board meeting will be on Thursday, October 20, at 6 p.m.