A Deficit Elimination Plan must be filed with the State of Michigan on Friday by the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education, which adopted a deficit budget 30 days earlier.
The numbers keep changing, but the deficit was about $2.6 million and the plan needs to show how the district plans to erase that within two years, as well as to keep the district operating in the black.
On Monday, the school board was all set to lay off 10 school secretaries — after contract negotiations to gain concessions seemed to hit an impasse — and hire a private firm to provide secretaries for the same salaries, but without benefits.
This was to be a part of the Deficit Elimination Plan, but a hostile standing-room-only (and sitting on the floor) crowd on Monday influenced the board to back down and wait until Wednesday to deal with the secretaries – after more negotiations could take place.
A special board meeting had been set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, at Rawsonville Elementary School to either accept a tentative agreement with the secretarial unit or lay off 10 secretaries and contract with a firm to supply new secretaries in time to be trained for the opening of school in September.
The Deficit Elimination Plan was also to be approved Wednesday, so business office consultant Mike Dixon could get it to the state by the end of the week. Dixon was directed to find a way, between Monday and Wednesday, to cut $2.6 million more from the 2012-13 budget which needs to be a part of the plan.
On Monday, the board also ratified a two-year contract with the Van Buren Educational Support Team (VBEST) that saved the district about $800,000 with all the concessions by the employees.
In a related matter, the board voted 6-1 to make dramatic shifts in the administrative staff, with Trustee Sherry Frazier voting no because were too many changes going on at one time.
The changes include reducing the Curriculum Office to half time, possibly employing Plante & Moran to run the business office, and redesign the Parent Involvement program.
Also, Curriculum Director Peggy Voigt will become North Middle School Principal and work at redesigning the middle schools; Special Services Supervisor Susan Fleming will become ECDC Coordinator and Special Needs Testing; BHS Assistant Principal Jeff Glombowski left for another job; Athletic Director Rodney Fisher will be BHS Assistant Principal/Athletic Director; interim BHS Assistant Principal Abdul Madyun will be BHS Assistant Principal; NMS Interim Principal Tim Ottewell will be NMS Assistant Principal/Athletic Director; NMS Interim Assistant Principal Steve Hudock will go back into the classroom; SMS Principal Michelle Herring will become BHS Deputy Principal; Edgemont Elementary Principal Karen Mida will become SMS Assistant Principal/Athletic Director (and she has applied for the vacant SMS principal’s position); Title 1 Coordinator Jolynn DeBuysschre will be half time Savage teacher/half time Title 1 Coordinator; Savage Elementary Principal Michelle Briegel will be principal at Edgemont; SMS Assistant Principal Jeff Moore will be Savage principal; and Larry Warren, who is on medical leave, will continue as home school liaison when he returns to work.
Although the goal of the changes was to improve education and test scores, the total package will save $200,000, said School Supt. Tom Riutta.
The board also agreed to suspend the Grading and Homework Policy it had adopted, so the policy can be fine-tuned.
Sharon Peltier, a teacher at Savage Elementary School with 15 years of service, retired as of June 30 and the board accepted her termination.
One mother, who had spoken in favor of Mida remaining at Edgemont said, “There are so many changes and you are mixing it up so much, we don’t know what to be mad at.”