In first meeting since devastating cuts,
GPPS board assesses the damage
The Grosse Pointe Public Schools board could hardly conduct its monthly meeting Monday (Oct. 26) without acknowledging the $4 million elephant in the room–two rounds of budget cuts, and possibly a third, that will slash funding for the district. The cuts were made by the state legislature, and by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, last week as part of a bruising state budgetary process in a dismal Michigan economy.
“I cannot say how disgusted I am with our legislature,” said board member John Steininger.
Granholm signed the School Aid Act bill into law Oct. 19, which cuts funding by $165 per pupil. But in an unexpected move the following day, the governor used her line-item veto to eliminate Section 20J funds to districts like Grosse Pointe, an additional $198 cut per pupil. And late in the week, Granholm took another chunk of money away from the schools–$212 million statewide, or another $127 per pupil. School officials estimate the grand total is roughly $4 million per year.
Steininger cited the Section 20J funds as part of the deal Proposal A passed in the 1990s.
“With one stroke of a pen, they reneged on that promise, and that is a clear reflection of integrity. Any legislature that voted for a $165 [per pupil] reduction lacks intellectual foresight. I’m tired of being the state who gives away our best students to other states," he said.
The board also heard from Sen. Martha Scott, D-2nd, who briefed them on the latest school funding issues.
“If I don’t sound happy, it’s because I’m not,” said Scott. “I firmly believe it is most important to educate the young people and to support school funding.”
Scott also said the latest cut, a $127 per pupil proration adjustment, has not been enacted yet, and the decision regarding that cut does not have to be made for a few days. To keep the $127 cut from happening, $100 million in funding is needed and it is not decided where that money will come from yet.
“We are still at a point where we are gathering information,” said Brendan Walsh, vice president of the school board. “There is no discernable plan, and I don’t see help from Lansing anytime soon. Given the senate majority's well-known position to oppose revenue increases or tax hikes, I would venture this cut is also likely to be enacted.”
A staff utilization analysis was constructed using spreadsheets to show the student-teacher ratio within each school. According to Thomas Harwood, assistant superintendent for human resources and labor relations, the sheet will be useful to show individual employee positions by building as well as the number of students attending. Walsh noted that class size is the single biggest variable cost all school districts have.
“In our current high school schedule, increasing the average class size by one student requires that we hire about six fewer teachers,” said Walsh. “The average cost of a Grosse Pointe public school teacher, factoring salary and benefits, is $117,000. So when you do the math, you see can why so many districts increase class sizes as a way to address budget shortfalls.”
Teachers and residents advised the board against increasing class size, claiming that students will not receive the education and attention they need, thus lowering the quality of education.
“We know the reaction to increased class sizes and we respect that,” said Walsh. “We want to make the right decisions on class size not just for budget reasons, but also for educational reasons. The end result of all of this will be a question of which are the least attractive alternatives. None will be particularly appealing.”
The staff spreadsheet will help in zero-based budgeting, where every job must have relevance. Through this, layoffs throughout the Grosse Pointe district are very possible.
“The sheet will re-evaluate every position in our staff, and our district currently has 916 employees,” said Harwood.
Board members and others who spoke at the meeting urged fellow residents to vote yes on the upcoming millages on Nov. 3.
“The two ballot proposals continue millages already in place,” said Karl Kratz, school board member. “They are not an increase.”
Both millages account for 25 percent of the school system’s budget.
In addition to millages, grants serve as another form of financial help. Harwood stated that Title 1 and Title 2 grants from the federal government are available to local schools, and the school system has to apply for such grants. Because they're federal funds, they cannot be taken away by state legislators.
“There’s always a slight variance in grants,” said Susan Allan, assistant superintendent of curriculum, assessment and instruction. “Sometimes they increase and sometimes they decrease, but we must apply for them.”
The board has also approved physical-plant improvements using Sinking Fund monies.
“People have made it sound like frivolous renovations,” said Alice Kosinski, president of the school board. “But these are 70-year-old buildings that need improvements in order for students to have a safe learning environment.”
