During the 2009-2010 school year, along with getting a new superintendent (Me!), our central office staff has undergone some significant changes. In December, we learned that longtime business manager, Tom Sabor, had been selected as the new Vice-President for Financial Affairs at Bay College. We began the process to figure out how we would replace him, and after considering many options, the Board of Education approved a plan to share services with Gladstone Area Public Schools--a decision that would increase efficiencies, save money, while also increasing proficiencies in both business offices by including "cross-training" opportunities.

Mike Macfarlane, is now the "Director of Business Services" for both school districts and will oversee both business offices. Each district has in place an accountant, who will handle detail work, specific to each district. For Escanaba, that person is now Jessica Erickson. She will do quite a bit of what Tom Sabor used to do, but will be overseen by Mike. Katie Kenneally, who has been doing payroll for Gladstone, will also do payroll for Escanaba. Ruth Madlinski, who has done accounts payable/receivable for Escanaba, will also do some work for Gladstone. Cathy Olson, who has done benefits administration for Escanaba, will also do work for Gladstone. The idea is to not only streamline the work, but to help and learn from each other.

So, we have new people, new roles, and with that we also have new learning. We will continue to work together and to have conversations to continuously improve this model.

It is actually "settling in"--the thought that Escanaba will have a beautifully renovated high school, along with upgrades to Lemmer, Webster, and Soo Hill, and even to some extent the bus garage! It is exciting to also know that a big piece of this endeavor will be in the area of energy (as "green" as we can be...) science, and technology.

In my former positions downstate, I did a bit of grant writing, and I know that it is time-consuming, yet it can be a beneficial way to supplement projects that you already have on your plate. Due to the fact that our District spent considerable time doing a data review for strategic planning back in August 2009, with a vision for Escanaba's future; AND now that we have funds to do things in the areas of technology, science, and energy, I believe we are in a great position to explore grant opportunities.

I will be working with our staff to consider this possibility. If for instance, we will have funds to put in certain kinds of technology, we might explore the possibility to write a grant to help pay for supplemental resources and training to help to enrich the renovation project even further. Another example might be, if we are going to replace windows that help maximize light for learning, and to save heating costs, perhaps we might write a grant to help supplement instruction we provide to students in the area of "green energy" with hands-on learning experiences. Many grants are designed to help boost an innovative project or idea. Given the reconfiguration of our schools, coupled with a 21.6 million dollar renovation project, I would think we are ripe for grant-funded enhancements.

To the Citizens of Escanaba:

On behalf of the Escanaba Area Board of Education, I would like to thank the citizens of the Escanaba Area Public School District for their support of the 21.6 million dollar bond proposal that will benefit each student in our school system. As a result of the renovations, we will be able to significantly improve student safety and security; implement energy efficiencies, upgrade instructional technology, modernize our science labs, and in short, provide a quality educational environment! Your support not only is a boost for our schools, it also positions the community of Escanaba to be increasingly attractive for business and living.

The Escanaba Area Public School District also appreciates the passion and persistence of the Concerned Citizens for Public Education, a local group of people who were incredibly involved and instrumental in promoting and passing this proposal. Cathy Wilson and Jim Hansen co-chaired a dedicated team of people, and we appreciate not only their leadership, but also the work all of the volunteers put forth to benefit our students.

The District is pursuing the next steps to get this project underway. During the next two weeks, more intricate planning and designing will take place. I will work with our consultants and bond attorney to ensure that Escanaba follows the correct protocols to get the financial process started. Timelines and deadlines will be established, so that the actual work can start soon. We expect this work to get underway within the next couple of months, and continue throughout the summer, with some projects completed prior to school beginning for the 2010-2011 school year. Work will then continue throughout the next 2 1/2 years.

Your legacy in passing this proposal will be the beautifully renovated, energy efficient, safe, and engaging educational facilities for our students! Thank you again, citizens of Escanaba!

Sincerely,

Michele Burley, Superintendent

On February 23, citizens of the Escanaba School District decide whether or not to approve a 21.6 million dollar bond proposal. For some people who are following my blog, I want to review some of the facts in this post.

§The 21.6 million dollar bond proposal addresses the district’s needs by significantly improving safety/security, energy, and technology. The bulk of this project focuses on the high school at 17.4 million dollars, with the remainder focusing on Lemmer, Webster, and Soo Hill elementary schools. The bus garage will also see $91,000 of improvements.

§We can achieve $50,000-$75,000 of savings in annual energy costs at the high school alone by improving roofs, windows, insulation, lighting, and by installing temperature controls. Similar upgrades at Lemmer, Soo Hill, and Webster will add to these savings. Savings can then be re-directed toward student programming.

§Redesigned entrances and site improvements will improve safety at the high school and Lemmer by streamlining parking and bus/parent drop off areas, while offices will be positioned to ensure increase security and but yet be welcoming for parents and visitors. A multi-purpose space will be added at the high school not only for underclassman’s closed campus lunch, but also for curricular/extra-curricular functions in the areas of fine arts, athletics,and student activities. Two classrooms will be added near “A-wing” to improve traffic patterns, and to increase learning options for the youngest students in that building.

§Modernized science labs and new technology infrastructure as well as equipment will benefit all students as we equip them to be 21st century learners. The auditorium is slated for new seating, acoustic, and equipment upgrades.

§The millage that will be levied over 20 years is 2.17. Currently Escanaba Public Schools levies 2.76, and that debt will be retired in 10 years. Compared to the other school districts in our county, Escanaba still is very low. Three other Delta County districts currently levy 7, 8.1, and 8. 56 respectively.

§Tax credits available to individuals and families offer increased affordability for this proposal. The increased cost for a family in the City of Escanaba, living in a house with a market value of $100,000 will be $33 per year. Many will pay less, and senior citizens may pay nothing because they may qualify for Michigan’s “Homestead Exemption.” Citizens can click on the “tax calculator” at www.escanabaschool.com/bond to see how the proposal affects their personal situation.

Last week I blogged a bit about Escanaba's stellar art program, and today is the day for a "shout out" about our music department!

This past Saturday, Feb 6, over 700 orchestral musicians, grades 7-12 performed in the MSBOA District Solo & Ensemble Festival. Escanaba hosted this event that brought in hundreds of parents and other visitors to our high school and community. I walked through the high school on Saturday morning, and witnessed first hand "organized chaos"--students rushing from practice rooms to performance rooms, with instruments such as violins, flutes, and an occasional flurry of sheet music in hand, then greeted by Escanaba volunteers stationed outside the doors. Over one hundred (100) students from Escanaba performed. Next weekend the high school vocal department will will have their solo ensemble. Many thanks to not only our music staff members who volunteered their time, but also I'd like to extend thanks to other parent and staff helpers. The community of "service and giving" makes Escanaba Area Public Schools a very special place.

Also, sixteen (16) of our High School Chorale members were selected for membership in the Michigan Youth Arts Festival State Honors Choir. We were the only school in the UP to have 16 students selected, and I am told that we may be one of the only schools in the state to have 16 students in this elite group.

Our 8th grade bands will be traveling to Marquette on March 4, 2010 to perform for a panel of judges as part of the MSBOA District Band & Orchestra festival, the High School chorus and Choir will also be attending festival on March 5th.

Music programs in the Escanaba Area Public Schools--another top-notch opportunity for students in our school system!

Today I learned about some fantastic things going on within our art department, and I just HAD to share this on my blog. Mr. Scott Dykema, one of our art instructors, passed on the following information to me today:
From Mr. Dykema:

"I wanted to keep you up to date on what we are doing in the Escanaba Art department. We usually do not do much at the beginning of the year because we are in the process of building our art collection. One thing that I do in the Middle School is put all students artwork into an online portfolio or gallery which is on a web site called Artsonia. This is the largest collection of student artwork in the world. We have over 2,000 pieces of art on this site and are rated top 10 in the state. We are scored on how many pieces of artwork, fan club members (like friends on Facebook), comments, and funds. Anyone of our students who are signed up can buy items with their artwork on them. The Middle School Art Department gets 15% of that money. I like this site because it gets the parents and students involved in art. This is the first year I have tried to get all of the students in the Middle School. So far so good. You can click HERE: Escanaba on Artsonia to see our school's site.

The big event at this time of the year is the Bonifas Center's Youth in Arts Exhibit. This is where schools in the area select their best art from their students and display them in the Bonifas gallery. The reception for K-5 is February 18 from 6-7 p.m. And the reception for 6-12 is February 25 from 6-7 p.m. Awards will be given out at this time. There is also drinks and cake. I will be at the February 25th reception. Usually the Escanaba Middle School gets a good turn out in awards.

The other big event starting March 15th - April 19th is the 8th annual Monster Art Show. This is at the Delta Plaza Mall. What the Art teachers (1st - 12th) try to do is get a sample of artwork from every student in the district that has an art class and put them on display at the mall. We usually get about 1,400 pieces of art. I am pretty sure that this is the biggest art exhibit in the UP and most likely the State of Michigan. About 8 years ago the art teachers decided to start this mall exhibit. We decided to do this because we wanted everyone to have a chance to display their art, not just the "best" art projects. It has taken me about 8 years to get enough funding for over 100 display panels. This year we should have the biggest show ever."

Final comments from Ms. Burley:

If you are in the Escanaba area during these events, I encourage you to try to attend! What an honor for our students to be able to showcase their artwork! Thanks to Mr. Dykema for sharing this information!

Have you heard the term "digital natives?" It is a term used to describe the students who are sitting in our classrooms today. They are "native" to technology, as they most likely have seen and used computers, cell phones, i-pods, digital cameras, and more. People my age, who grew up remembering the exciting day when a parent came home with a COLOR t.v. as opposed to the black and white model; and who also remember when the rotary phone was replaced with a push-button model, and then a CORDLESS one---well we have been described as "digital immigrants." We have had to change how we operate, communicate to respond to new technologies...and for us, like an immigrant in a new world--it hasn't always been easy.

Students in Escanaba have had some great technology solutions available to them. We have computer labs in each building. We use software such as Accelerated Reader, and Compass Learning to target instruction and to measure student progress like never before. However, it is not enough.
Technology can leverage learning in ways not achievable with typical paper/pencil exercises. It can engage students to think more creatively and critically. It can open up "regional thinking" to "global thinking".
In order to do this, we need to plan on how we'll immerse students into project-based learning that is based on real-world situations and problems, and give them the resources to investigate and analyze information, and the means to collaborate and communicate with others about their learning.
What will the classroom of tomorrow look like?
The next Escanaba Public School Board meeting will feature a report on technology in Escanaba, and where we hope to move. (February 15, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.)
How soon can "the classroom of tomorrow" happen?
I hope it can happen as soon as possible, because our students will benefit.

It amazes me that six months ago, I began my first superintendency in Escanaba. Collecting data and launching the district strategic plan took much of July and August. Throughout that process, we discussed Escanaba's vision for the future, with one of the four goals being: "Improve student achievement at all levels to exceed state and national standards." In discussions with groups since then, I've mentioned that my personal vision would be for people who encounter our graduates to exclaim, "Well you MUST be from Escanaba!" Our students would naturally outperform the norm, due to their incredible K-12 educational experience.

Part of how we determine if our students are indeed "outperforming" the typical, is to understand what standards of learning we expect our students to master. The curriculum is the "meat" of the educational sandwich. Without it, it is just garnish and bread. I expect our principals to lead their teaching staff to ensure the curriculum for each course is sound, that it is aligned to state expectations, but also that its delivery and assessment is consistent across courses, grade spans, and schools. The standards for what is taught and expectations for what is learned in each 4th grade classroom, for example, need to be common. HOW teachers deliver the curriculum, and adjusted to meet the needs of the different learning styles of their students may vary--but the end result should be that students learned what we intended them to learn. Algebra I with Teacher A should be consistent with Teacher B, and so on. The content should build from one grade level to the next, and not simply be a "repeat" of the previous grade. This is "vertical alignment."

Strategies to make this happen start with good discussions that end up with common understandings about what the learning expectations are for the content. It may include pacing guides (a roadmap for when things are taught), coupled with suggestions of what vocabulary, concepts, and skills need to be stressed, along with resources that give students a similar presentation. This all happens on the teacher end of things. I also am strongly in favor of letting students and parents know exactly what it is we expect kids to learn by the end of a course or school year. As the year moves on, let's allow students to know where they are in their learning, so that they know what else they have yet to accomplish. Finally, let's celebrate when indeed they master the content and demonstrate that they have learned.

It sounds simple, doesn't it? I haven't talked "curriculum" in about 5 months, due to the all-consuming work of dealing with school funding, but I wanted to do so today. it is the core of what we do. It is our business. I am hoping we can keep this idea in front of us as we move into the years ahead. Let's fully equip our students with the gift of a foundation of knowledge and skills to launch them into a successful future.

Last night, the Escanaba Area Public Schools' Board of Education voted to approve sharing business services with Gladstone Area Public Schools. This plan calls for sharing a "Director of Business Services" to oversee both district business offices; adding an accountant for Escanaba, and one for Gladstone, then sharing other business office services. This plan will allow for more cross-training, increased efficiencies, as well as some cost savings. This is the direction that the Michigan Department of Education is urging districts to consider. Both districts believe that it is far better to be proactive now, than to have the State of Michigan impose this upon us later. We will be able to customize the plan so it is a "win-win" for both districts. This opens the door to future possibilities. It is not "business as usual"--rather it is "business ramped up." We will have discussions with Gladstone, as well as other districts in regard to other partnerships as we move into the months and years ahead.

Our technology director created a page for the district on our Web site so that we can post "the latest and the greatest" about the reconfiguration project for next year. Right now, the site consists of the Frequently Asked Questions I posted yesterday...but it is a work in progress, and another way we will try to keep our parents and community informed. Have a great weekend!
Here's the new site:
http://www.escanabaschool.com/reconfiguration/

I created a "frequently asked questions" document about the reconfiguration project a couple of months ago--then forgot to post it! I'm going to share this document as a "download" in this blog post. Please know however, that this is a work in progress. Our district teams are having many conversations about how we will best implement this change for next year. It is also important to know that we will reconfigure our schools regardless if the Bond Proposal passes or not. The proposed renovation project, paid for out of bond funds, will enhance and support the schools' new configuration. More to come!

Have you heard about the federal program, "Race to the Top?" This is a program designed to reform education in such a way to support and actually turn around low performing schools. Michigan is one of 50 states applying for some of the 4.35 billion dollars that the government is making available. To be eligible for the funds, Michigan had to complete a detailed application describing our state's project. School districts were given an opportunity (voluntary) to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, in cooperation with their teachers' union, to agree to abide by all the pieces of Michigan's application. In exchange, districts would then be allocated an amount of money.

Michigan's application was not available to districts for review until Friday night, January 8, 2010--after the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) original deadline to sign this agreement. Late last week, districts received ANOTHER notice, saying that MDE would accept an "Intent to Sign" notice, giving the districts a chance to more thoroughly review Michigan's application over the weekend, and THEN sign the agreement, prior to the close of the business day on Tuesday, January 12.

Escanaba's Board of Education reviewed the FACTS regarding Race to the Top, and considered the District's attorney's guidance (who did not give a green light, simply because of the lack of real, factual information.) The Board decided that in the best interest of the students they serve, to NOT sign this agreement, because of the lack of information, as well as the hazy implications about a plan for which all the bugs have not been worked out.

Escanaba IS reforming! Academic achievement is on the move--with a new strategic plan that has as its #1 goal for students to EXCEED state and national standards. Our buildings will reconfigure next year, with one of the main reasons being: to give students more opportunities to advance! Further, we have studied our facilities, and the Board has called for a bond proposal--one that will not only save the district in energy costs, but one that will increase safety, as well as help to equip students with technology tools. Escanaba HAS a plan to reform and to re-invent....one put together collaboratively with parents, community members, and staff.

Plans that WORK are well-planned. The Escanaba team studied data, analyzed it, debated about it, collaboratively considered where it is our district should "go", and considered steps as to how the plan should be implemented. The process used took 5 months, and allowed for "buy in", feedback, and tweaks from our stakeholders before the Board adopted the plan in November 2009.

In contrast, districts were given some preliminary information in December 2009 about Race to the Top, and the plan itself was not available until the evening of January 8, 2010, with a January 12, 2010 last-ditch-effort-to-sign deadline (with still unanswered questions regarding "how it would all work"). It seems like "Race to Get It Done", rather "Race to the Top."

The spirit of Race to the Top is a mighty one. However, it is my opinion as Superintendent, that Districts be afforded the realistic and necessary opportunity to "Study, analyze, THEN Act!"

I imagine the students in Mr. Jankowski's class could not hardly wait to come to school today. I got a message in my office this a.m., alerting me to the information that students would be testing out their catapults in the Courtyard Room today around lunch time. I had to go down to see the action. Hearing the buzz as I walked closer to the door, I knew that I just had to be in the right place. Students worked in teams of three to design, build, and now test out--catapults. Their mission: to see how far their machines could fling a ping pong ball. They needed to use physics, problem-solving skills, and communication skills to successfully complete their tasks--but I'm sure they didn't care much about THAT. Rather--it was fun! And I daresay they will remember this way longer then paper and pencil work. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills would smile upon activities such as this, because these kinds of skills will be the skills needed for the jobs of the future. Nice job kids! Here's a picture below showing some of the action:

Here's another one:

Facility audits, safety studies (2-3 years ago), and survey results compiled during the August strategic planning process all revealed such a need for improvement, that it was evident the District should address some facilities issues. Back in October, the District held three (3) public forums to share information and to gather input regarding a building project that will primarily affect the high school campus, Lemmer Elementary, Webster Elementary, Soo Hill Elementary, and to some extent, the bus garage. On December 14, 2009, the Escanaba Area School Board voted their approval (7-0) to approve a resolution to move forward with a bond proposal.

In this blog post, I'm attaching a document that provides some information about the scope of this project. In addition, a nifty tax calculator tool is available for our citizens to use, so that individuals and families can actually see how the passing of the bond issue will affect what they pay for taxes. This tool was demonstrated at the board meeting on Monday, and it is quite slick. The link to this site is:

http://www.mytaxcalc.com/escanaba/Introduction_Sheet.aspx

The bond proposal will address safety, energy efficiencies, as well as instructional needs. Please review the document for more information.

At 8:00 this morning, the District rolled up its collective sleeves to work with a Technical Assistance Provider from the Michigan Department of Education. Mr. Larry Lawless's role is to monitor school district compliance in regard to teacher certification and the "highly qualified" provisions of No Child Left Behind. The process began with an overview, a question/answer period, followed by a random audit of personnel files to ensure our teachers have their credentials appropriately documented. It is nearing the 6 hour mark, and the team (Mr. Leisenring, Ms. Valley, Dr. Johnson, and myself) has been working straight through with Mr. Lawless. It has been a great learning experience for all of us. In addition to fulfilling the state requirement, we have received much assistance to help us ensure our teaching staff will continue to be assigned in areas for which they are both certified and highly qualified.

While time consuming, the Mi-TAP process has been worthwhile!

One of my favorite musicals is called "Into the Woods", and a song that has always touched me from this show is called "Children will listen." Here's a bit of the lyrics:

Careful the things you say,
Children will listen.
Careful the things you do,
Children will see.
And learn.
Children may not obey,
But children will listen.
Children will look to you
For which way to turn,
To learn what to be.
Careful before you say,
"Listen to me."
Children will listen.

I imagine you might be thinking, "Why in the world would she go on about this?" It struck me tonight, when I attended the hockey game against Marquette
that in each event where we have our students compete and perform, these students become heroes in the eyes of the younger children in attendance. Do our 
students realize what an impact they make on these little ones? 

All of us are role models. We may not think what we do or how we conduct ourselves matters, but it does. Each one of us can choose a path to be the "hero"
in someone's life. It isn't always easy. As I've mentioned in previous posts, these are challenging times for Escanaba. As we venture together into the 
years ahead, what have we done to be good role models? Have we each done all we can do to improve the collective "good?" Each day we have still another chance 
to make a difference. We need to keep trying.

School districts in Michigan will be expected to use an online Web interface to upload school improvement information. This week, a couple of our principals will travel to Lansing to be trained with other Delta-Schoolcraft ISD educators. For the past few years, school teams have done self-ratings of performance indicators related to educational excellence, by using an online system. The new school improvement portal will take that tool to the next level, and actually archive the information. It is hoped that state assessment data will be pre-populated by the state, but then local data can be integrated into the system as well. From the foundation of the data story, goals and objectives will be generated, and strategies outlined. I am hoping that our representatives will learn much to bring back to our local teams.

On Friday, November 20, an article appeared in the Escanaba Daily Press that reported information about the budget cuts that were discussed at a Finance Committee meeting last week. Due to the complexity and quantity of the information presented at the meeting, the article ended up with some inaccuracies that the publisher graciously acknowledged on Friday. He offered to allow me "1000 words" in an editorial to provide the correct information in an upcoming issue, which I hope will be tomorrow (Monday, Nov. 23). However, given that it "might" or "might not" be published tomorrow, I have decided to share the information on my blog as well. Here is what I've provided to the Escanaba Daily Press:

To the Editor:

Most families try very hard to live within their means, and budget accordingly. They have an idea about their utility costs, their rent or mortgage payment, food, telephone, and cable. Children “cost” too, as they need clothes, medical and dental care. Many parents also try to provide and pay for dance lessons, skates for hockey, club memberships, bikes, cell phones, etc…and the list can be endless, can’t it? It seems as though there is nothing a parent would not try or do, when it comes to children. If something happens however, where their money is cut or is significantly reduced, families have to take a good hard look at where they are spending, and make a change. When these changes affect children, it makes cutting back so much harder. Relying on “credit” will not solve the problem, in fact down the road, using credit and borrowing could make things worse.

The State of Michigan cut school districts by $165 per student in funding for THIS school year. The Escanaba Area Public School family is required to end the year with a balanced budget, and so five months into the school year, it now must make cuts to address a $447,409 shortfall.The Board of Education directed me to pull together our administrative team to identify exactly what is possible to cut, given that employee contracts are already in place. The team looked at EVERYTHING, and spent many hours on the task. Ideas were listed, evaluated as to their impact on student achievement, their impact on opportunities for students, as well as how the cuts might affect parents and our community. By the time we finished, we had a list of items that we put into five categories: 1) Instructional support and resources, 2) Administrative, 3) Extra-curricular, 4) Facilities, and 5) Transportation. An additional item was added in (but subject to bargaining with the teacher’s union) to end up with a list of cuts totaling $439,590. (Please note: this figure is $4,000 more than first calculated and communicated.)

The Board of Education Finance Committee met on Thursday, November 19, and reviewed the list at an open meeting. A great deal of information was presented, and so consequently, some of this information was not accurately captured by the Daily Press. I have been granted this opportunity by the newspaper to share the proposed cuts through this editorial.

In the area of Instructional Supports and Resources, cuts equating to $131,000 were accomplished by reducing hours of support personnel, as well as reducing instructional and technology supplies.

Administrative Cuts totaled $127,217. The administrators and the district technology staff offered to take a pay freeze, and I offered to work two days of my contract without pay. Secondly, the activities/athletics secretarial position was eliminated. Finally, through the grappling of “how to cut without impacting students”, the team figured out that the district could use fund transfers from both the hot lunch and some of the federal programs to account for additional time and utilities.

Extra-curricular cuts amounted to $77,087. The cuts in this category are spread out in four areas. Of that total, $37,000 will come from instituting a “pay-to-ride” program for our extra-curricular sports, fine arts, and clubs. In addition, $30,240 will come from cutting some sports (H.S. girls’ gymnastics and boys’ tennis; M.S. track, ticket manager position, and by paying for M.S. volleyball and cheerleading out of the M.S. fund-raising pot). In the area of fine arts, a savings of $7,659 is achieved by cutting the extra-duty pay of our music instructors for non-classroom time. One middle school activity (student council) will be self-funded and two high school clubs (E-club and Chess Club) will be cut, for a savings of $2,188.

Facilities will see a cut of $54,200. $44,000 of this amount is a result of reducing custodial time by 12 hours. Reducing the costs of utilities (eliminating personal refrigerators, extra vending machines from schools, and heat for Washington School) is expected to render $8,200 of savings. Using up what we have for custodial supplies and not buying “new” will save $2,000. Transportation will eliminate monthly training meetings, which saves $2500.

Eliminating five days of school for students, while adding 16-18 minutes to the remaining days in the 2009-2010 school calendar will save $47,586 and also allow the district to designate 2 of these days for state-mandated professional development.

In summary, the Board will vote Monday evening on whether or not to cut spending by $439,590 in order to address the State’s $165 per pupil cut to this year’s state aid payment. They will vote, knowing that the district still has a good possibility of ANOTHER cut of $127 per pupil by January 2010; and ANOTHER cut for next school year that is anticipated to be between $600 (1.6 million) and $1000 (2.7 million) per student. We all will pray for a miracle—that we won’t see such a cut. However, if you know you can do something to prepare for a “hurricane”, you start boarding up your windows. Thinking it might “miss you” does not help you one bit once the wind starts blowing.

Like a family facing a significant financial shortfall, we need to pull together as we make these extremely difficult decisions. It expected that Michigan will recover slowly, and these hard times may not be resolved for several years. In the meantime, we still have students to teach, to inspire, and to provide for as much as we are able, given our financial challenges. We need to act now, and in ways we have never had to before, because these are days that we have never seen the likes of before. I know that if any community can rally and rise above all this, it is Escanaba. I think with a committed community, we can meet this challenge. Like never before, your school system needs you. Most importantly, our children need you. Thank you.

By Michele Burley, Superintendent

Our district, like others across the state, is in the process of making some very difficult decisions in order to address the $165 per pupil cut imposed upon us by the State of Michigan. No one anticipated that size of a cut, and we know that it is possible that the State will "ding" us once again in a couple of months. It angers us. It frustrates us. Yet, we have to meet this challenge with actions.

The Board of Education Finance Committee met yesterday to review some considerations for cuts. We will see a cut in state aid of $447,409, and so the considerations that were reviewed total approximately $436,590 at this time. $131,000 has been tagged in instructional support and resources, $127,217 in administrative cuts, $77,087 in extra-curricular, $50,200 in facilities,
$2500 in transportation, and $47,586 in reducing days of instruction. All painful. However, through this process, it is my hope that our teams can pull together and make the best of this situation.

Unfortunately, it has come back to me that in some schools today, there has been considerable "griping" about staff having to remove their personal refrigerators and other appliances. An audit of how many extra appliances plugged into our schools revealed enough to cause the question, "How much in energy, do these appliances end up costing? A meter was placed on a mini-fridge. Energy cost: $13/month. Multiply that by 9 months of the school year. Total school year cost: $117. NOW, multiply $117 x 20 (that is an audit of JUST refrigerators at one of our schools). $2340 is the yearly COST of 20 extra refrigerators in one school!

Rather than cut another person's hours or position, or rather than eliminating more extra-curricular opportunities for kids, we will tell staff to bring an insulated lunch bag for their lunch, and to unplug their refrigerator. It is not only the RIGHT thing to do--it is the ETHICAL thing to do in times such as this.

There ARE no "best" places to cut. We can, however, minimize impact to students. Cutting staff personal appliance usage is one way in which we can do this.