Harrison BOE seeks federal Race to Top funds
By Mary Kindig
Review Correspondent
Sheryl Presler, Superintendent of the Clare-Gladwin RESD, gave a presentation to the Harrison Community Schools Board of Education Monday night regarding the federally funded Race to the Top initiative. “Michigan does plan to apply in the first round of funding, which means that its application is due January 19th; therefore, everything is on a fast track with them. There is 4.3 billion dollars to be distributed through this Race to the Top; it’s a federal initiative,” Presler commented.
“What’s happening now is that Michigan, with its current laws and regulations, is really not eligible for Race to the Top grants,” Presler continued, “So the Legislature is not worried about the budget right now. They’re worried about what they can get passed in the Legislature quickly…so that Michigan would be eligible to submit a grant for Race to the Top.” Presler cited caps on Charter Schools and part of the teacher tenure regulations as two of the items legislators would have to change to comply with federal standards.
“The estimates are that Michigan’s application is going to be for 400 million dollars,” Presler told the Board, adding that half of that allocation would go towards schools with more economically disadvantaged students (according to a formula based on a district’s Title I funding level), and the other half would likely be distributed at the State’s discretion, and would include districts that were recently awarded the Re-Imagine Grants. According to Presler, current estimates show that Harrison Schools may be awarded $366,000 under the Title I formula funding.
In order to receive that funding (if Michigan is awarded Race to the Top monies), a district must sign a memorandum of understanding with the State; the School Board President, the Superintendent of Schools and the President of the Teachers Union need to sign the memorandum by January 8th in order to be eligible.
Since the State’s plan is not yet finalized, there has been much speculation about what districts are signing on to, and if regulations (and, in the case of the teachers’ unions, concessions) would be attached. Yet most districts, like Harrison, realize that opportunities for extra funding – especially in light of Michigan’s poor economic climate – come with risks that must be weighed against the very real likelihood of further State reductions in school funding.
After a discussion that yielded more questions than answers, the Harrison Board of Education voted unanimously to allow President Joel Hardy and Superintendent Tom House to sign the memorandum of understanding. Teachers Union President Kathy Conlon was not present at the meeting to comment as to the union’s position on the memorandum.
Also at Monday night’s meeting, Hillside Elementary Principal Barb Elliott reported to the Board about her recent trip to Washington D.C., where she was invited to participate in a panel discussion on school restructuring.
“For the last five years, Hillside has been in a research study – improving low performance schools — because in 2002-2003 school year, we were in restructuring. [Hillside] hadn’t made AYP scores in several years. So we’re in this five-year study. In 2005-2006 we got out of restructuring,” Elliott explained.
The study included 48 schools in six different states, and Hillside was one of only 11 schools in the study to get out of restructuring during the study. Elliott said the success of Hillside was due to four main factors: data to inform instruction, building a positive climate and culture, a focus on student learning, and collaboration.
“It was a real honor to be there,” Elliott said, adding, “I was very, very proud to represent our school. It was really nice to have what we have been doing for the last few years validated.”
During the Approval of the Minutes portion of the agenda, Trustee Therese Haley questioned the procedure used to make corrections to the minutes of past meetings. “A few months ago we had a discussion about class sizes and I had asked last month — and it wasn’t in the Board minutes at all — and I asked that that be put in the Board minutes that there were several Board members that were unhappy with class sizes. Now this month in the minutes, it just says ‘with additions’,” Haley said.
“Shouldn’t we also get a copy of the amended minutes?” Haley asked Superintendent House. Since the usual Recording Secretary, Tammy Harcourt, was not present at Monday night’s meeting, specific information on how minutes are corrected was not available. Approval of the minutes passed by a vote of 5-1, with Haley casting the dissenting vote. Trustee Doug Cobb was absent.
In other business, Harrison Community Schools Board of Education:
* approved the hiring of Bill Chadwick as the 7th Grade Boys Basketball coach.
* approved Andy Dennis as an Extra Duty Special Education Math teacher by a vote of 5-0, with Treasurer Floyd Dennis abstaining.
* approved the Service Consolidation Plan Resolution.
* approved that a resolution from Save Our Schools be sent to the governor and local legislators on behalf of the Board.
* authorized the CTE program to be able to give math credit for each three trimesters of classes completed.
* discussed the Custodial Service contract, the CGRESD Student Transportation Collaboration Study, and the bids and options for district fuel needs.
* acknowledged, with appreciation, the coordination efforts by Mr. Jim Holschield and the donation of new basketball uniforms by Mr. and Mrs. Jack and Sally Burt.
