In Face of Cuts, School Board Adjusts Budget

The 2009 Mackinac Island Board of Education is comprised of (from left) Trustees Larry Rickley and Leanne Brodeur, Secretary Terry Andress, Trustee Kelly Bean, President Ben Mosley, Treasurer Sara Chambers, and Vice-President Jason St. Onge. Funding changes were an important subject at the Mackinac Island Public School Board of Education meeting Thursday, June 18. Saving Paradise, a state fund designed to assist geographically remote schools, from which Mackinac Island received $85,000, has been cut, and the Michigan Business Tax, which helped fund out-of-formula schools such as Mackinac Island's, was also cut. That took another $ 100,000 from the school and replaced it with $300.

"The construct here is they put $300 into the Michigan Business Tax changes to help out-of-formula districts like ours," Superintendent Roger Schrock said at the meeting. "Three hundred is nothing. All it does is keep the funding alive."

The board was to meet Thursday, June 25, to adjust the next year's budget accordingly, and to adjust last year's budget for any unexpected overages. A detailed explanation of the overages was not available at the June 18 meeting.

Staff interviews were also discussed at the meeting. Board secretary Terry Andress said the Personnel Committee began interviewing for the kindergarten/first grade teacher position and physical education teacher position that week, and will continue this week.

The board also recognized retiring teacher Vicki Urman at the meeting. Dr. Schrock read a letter from the board and administration thanking Mrs. Urman for her service to the Island students, parents, and community.

The person hired to teach kindergarten and first grade will be asked to teach summer school classes, as Mrs. Urman did. Summer school for older students will not be available.

"One of the problems is partly our location," Dr. Schrock said. "There are some places around that do have summer schools. We don't have a summer school for high school kids. With the budget crisis being what it is, most everywhere in the state, that's one of the first things that goes, sadly. It's probably one of the most needed things, but, normally, we do not have that."

After-school

Gymnasium Use

In response to school board concern that using the school for athletic practice in the summers leaves the building vulnerable to vandalism and theft, boys basketball coach Jim Fisher presented the board with a plan to run "closed gymnasium" practices. All doors would be locked, Mr. Fisher said, including the girls and boys locker rooms, and he would personally let participants in through the locked gymnasium door. The board tabled the proposal for the next meeting, when Mr. Fisher can bring a written schedule of dates, start times, and end times. Board members added that they will be supportive of the proposal after it is in writing, with the exception of board president Ben Mosley, who felt that the practices should be monitored by one additional person.

"I still feel very adamant about having a separate person that's designated to police everybody," Mr. Mosley said, "making sure they're not wearing their street shoes in, making sure that they aren't messing up the bathrooms, whatever, just watching over things separately. I don't care if they use a volunteer or if they get the community foundation or somebody else to support it, or how they go about it, how they fund that other person, but, yes, I'm a firm believer that we need to protect the facility that we built."

Vice-president Jason St. Onge said he's happy with the progress of Mr. Fisher's proposal.

"I'm pleased to hear that you understand that it's an accountability thing," he said to Mr. Fisher. "A month ago, it was your take that there wasn't a problem, and now you understand that we have concerns. So I'm certainly happier with your plan."

Mr. St. Onge added that Mr. Fisher should not lower the baskets in the gymnasium if they have been raised out of the way for an event at the school.

School Doors

The board will order four new closures and hinges for the school's red doors and the school will spend up to $1,000 to replace a window in teacher Laura Eisler's classroom and spare windowpanes for custodian Mike Bradley, to allow him to make any additional window repairs himself during the winter season, when it is more difficult to get the necessary materials to the Island.

All-State Soccer Team

Robert Chambers has been named an all-state soccer player, Fuller Cowell received allregion and all-state honorable mention, Tyler McLean received an all-region and allstate honorable mention, and Ty Horn and Kate Dupre received all-district honors, Dr. Schrock announced.