Goodrich-By a six-to-one vote the school board Ok’d a184-day calendar year proposed earlier this year. Students will now attend school 181 days less five professional days required for teachers by law say school officials..
Trustee Tim Zirnhelt voted no.
The change from the current 198 day calendar which sparked the ire of teachers and some parents over the past months is necessary says Kim Hart, Goodrich superintendent to balance a rather hefty $991,655 budget shortfall reported earlier this year.
To rectify the shortfall on April 13, the board of education presented a proposal to the Goodrich Education Association, promising no layoffs of certified teachers if teachers agree to work 14 fewer days next year. The news followed the April 7 meeting between school administrators and teachers, in which nearly 39 teachers received pink slips. On April 24 the board voted 6 to 1 to finalize the layoffs.
Since than teachers were called back and union and school bargaining representatives met with a mediator in July regarding the disputed length of the 2005-06 calendar year.
Following the board decision regarding the calendar on Monday, Hart says teachers will lose an average of 1.7 percent of their pay, with 73 of approximately 105 teachers losing 2.12 percent. Teachers with more than 10 years will lose about 6 percent due to the change says Hart.
Dianne Bregenzer, Michigan Education Association representative says she’ll meet with attorneys for the union this week and will respond in the next few days regarding the calendar change.
‘They are asking the teachers to pay for the financial problems of the district. The pay cuts are greater than what the board says. The teachers will lose 7 percent from what we’re expected to be paid next year. The board’s numbers are skewed. Most of the teachers won’t see a loss in pay because of the 5 percent step up in pay negotiated in the contract will cover the cuts.?
Even with the cut in school days the district is still short $420,260 says Hart which must come out of the fund equity account, money set aside for a rainy day by the district. At the end of the 2005-06 school year the fund will be reduced to only 8 percent of the total budget about half of the 12 to 15 percent recommended set aside by the state says Hart.
‘We don’t want to mislead people but the funding problem is not going away. There’s still a shortfall,? said Hart.
The severity of the shortfall will hing in part on lawmakers promise to school districts of a $175 per student funding increase. Hart says the district is expecting only a $125 per student funding. Lawmakers will decide in September the actual amount.
Teachers in attendance during Monday’s school board meeting expressed concern over less school days and the impact the reduction in days may have on students? education.
‘I’m very upset about the change,? said Linda Ross, Goodrich Middle School science teacher. I don’t have as many days to teach now, science is a tough subject. It’s hard to get help on science at home.?
Deborah Gragg, a Goodrich first grade teacher says the demands on teachers continues to escalate while the amount of days to teach decreases.
‘There’s an increase in expectations for students from the state and now there’s two full weeks less–that’s a whole unit of math,? said Gragg. ‘We teach up to the last minute of the day before the reduction. It’s going to be hard to fit everything into fewer days.?
Hart agreed it would be tougher but is confident in Goodrich teachers.
‘The more days are better, no matter what it offers more opportunity to learn,? said Hart. ‘We have a high quilaty staff and no one says it’s going to be easy.?
‘All of the districts around us, like Grand Blanc and Flushing with high MEAP scores have the traditional number of school days. They all run on less days then Goodrich. We have excellent teachers–I’m sure they can do it.?
Bregenzer says that Goodrich will now have even fewer days than other districts.
‘Many of the other districts do have 180 and 181 days of school for the district. But they don’t take the five professional days away from the kids. It’s rare anywhere else would go down that far. Other districts are strapped much more than Goodrich with more days.?