• Center for Michigan conversation
was a success. Over 20 people came to give
their opinions about education in
Michigan. Watch the blog for a link to another
talk in Grand Rapids co-sponsored by
Michigan Radio sometime this summer.
• Retirement costs
are still the most crippling expense in our budget and our school board has no
control over it. This school year almost $0.25 of every salary
dollar goes back to Lansing to cover retirement costs. Next year this cost is
predicted to be $0.27. The Legislature’s solution to this problem
initially was too severe, threatening massive teacher retirements. The governor
and Legislature have lessened the changes, staving off massive
retirements. We will know more over the
summer. We are lucky to have Kevin
Phillips, our Assistant Superintendent of Business, join the statewide board overseeing
these changes.
• State Revenue Conference
was May 16. The state may have more money
in the School Aid Fund than anticipated last January. This may not result in more money to schools,
however, because community colleges and universities are still funded through
this fund. In any event, the legislature
and governor plan to have the School Aid Budget finished by June 1 which will
be advantageous for schools which will not have to borrow money to make their
payroll and bills like in previous years.
• All Day Kindergarten
was in all three budgets, the House, Senate and Governor’s. It will be in the compromise budget and all
schools will be coping with this cut. It
will cost our district approximately $450,000 to ramp up for all day
kindergarten. Watch the www.egrps.org to
see how we will cope. Also, the Kindergarten
start date legislation has passed and will be phased in over 3 years starting
2013/14.
·
Cyber
school legislation passed-we don’t know what the economic
impact will beover the next few years.
