County Schools Weather Stormy Year in 2009
January 12, 2010
Livingston County school districts had a rocky year in 2009, with money woes and controversy — fr om administrators being fired to recall campaigns.
Some districts had more drama than others, but all had to face tough budget decisions as a result of drastic declines in student enrollment and proposed state funding cuts that many administrators said were the worst they’ve seen in decades.
In February, Gov. Jennifer Granholm proposed a $59-per-pupil funding cut for public schools. That proposed number grew up to $292 per student before ending at $127 per student by October.
As a result, districts in Livingston County cut programs and laid off staff to get by.
Enrollment dives
As Livingston County school districts anticipated record cuts in per-pupil funding, fall student count results aggravated the situation with a clear picture that student enrollment drastically fell in 2009.
Enrollment losses — along with the state’s aid cuts — forced some districts in the county to cut jobs and programs midway through the school year.
The Fowlerville Community Schools Board of Education voted to close its Carlson Building midyear as well as cut one staff position from the district’s counseling, special education, media and custodial departments to offset a $1.1 million budget deficit.
The district lost 105 students in the fall; administrators had anticipated losing 60.
Similarly, Brighton Area Schools had budgeted to lose 150 students but lost 350, each representing about $7,300 in state aid. In December, the district voted to close one of its elementary schools.
Pinckney Community Schools, Hartland Consolidated Schools and Howell Pu blic Schools all lost students but avoided midyear budget cuts.
Deficit district
The Brighton Area Schools system became the only true deficit district in the county in June, with a $2.4 million operating shortfall expected to rise to nearly $15 million by June 2011.
The district — with no money in its fund balance — functioned only because of low-interest loans from the state, which required the district to submit a plan in December detailing how it would turn things around.
The submitted plan called for the district to slash $14.8 million from its $57 million annual spending plan, including privatizing custodians and other unpopular steps, such as closing Lindbom Elementary School, enacting a 10 percent across-the-board pay cut for all employees, and laying off 186 people. The jobs of teachers, principals, counselors and secretaries were included.
The district, which closed Miller Early Childhood Center over the summer, also set plans in motion to have the Livingston Educational Service Agency take over its busing.
Meanwhile, the district welcomed a new administrative team in July, including Superintendent Greg Gray, who previously served as superintendent of Owosso Public Schools.
Howell super ousted
As Theodore Gardella gathered his things, put on his jacket and left the Howell Public Schools Board of Education chambers in silence in June, many angry parents and teachers cried out for answers from board members who saw “no other way to fix” problems with the superintendent they abruptly voted to fire.
The unexpected termination of Gardella’s contract came with a 4-2 vote at a special meeting board Secretary Edwin Literski called a “circus.” Gardella’s employment was not an item listed on the meeting agenda, and the vote was made prior to public comments, which drew angry responses from many in the audience.
Gardella was the second superintendent the board forced out in a little more than a year.
“We needed to end this controversy,” Treasurer Ann Routt said June 26. Routt voted to oust the superintendent along with Literski, President Jeannine Pratt and Vice President Debi Drick.
The four claimed Gardella regularly ignored directives of the board, refused to collaborate with staff and hurt valuable relationships for the district within the community. Trustees Wendy Day and Robert Parker voted against the termination, both claiming the board never gave Gardella a fair chance. They also claimed their fellow board members tried to micromanage the day-to-day schools chief and fired him over “hurt feelings.”
Gardella repeatedly declined to comment on the incident. Lynn Parrish, the district’s deputy superintendent for labor relations and personnel, took the job of interim superintendent. The board approved criteria to begin a search for a new superintendent in December.
Recall drive falls short
After the abrupt ouster of Gardella as schools chief, a Howell school district parent launched a recall campaign against three members of the board.
The targeted members — Pratt, Drick and Literski — were accused of violating the public’s trust when they voted to fire Gardella without notifying the public of the possibility.
Routt was not targeted in the recall effort, which ultimately failed. The group, led by Deborah McCormick of Howell, did not collect enough signatures to q ualify the issue for an election ballot.
Day was a vocal supporter of the recall effort against her fellow board members.
Molestation case
Howell Public Schools administrators took plenty of heat for their handling of a sexual assault allegation made by a fifth-grade student who said he was “touched inappropriately” by a male counselor during a school camping trip in November.
Parents were outraged that administrators reported the claim to police Nov. 20 but didn’t notify parents about the alleged incident until mid-December.
The alleged sexual assault occurred at Battle Creek Public Schools’ Clear Lake Camp in Barry County, where fifth-graders at Southeast Elementary School attended a five-day program. Shortly after returning from the camp, a male student told his parent he was “touched inappropriately” by a male camp counselor who served as an overnight chaperone of a boys dorm. The parent reported the information to
Southeast Principal Melanie Post, who contacted police the same day.
The Michigan State Police launched an investigation expected to bring charges against a suspect this month.
Bond issue defeated
Voters in November defeated a $59.4 million bond project for Pinckney Community Schools.
The bond issue was proposed to allow the district to upgrade facilities, infrastructure and technology that could not otherwise be funded because of decreases in state funding and enrollment.
The issue drew 3,260 “no” votes and 3,002 “yes” votes.
District Superintendent Dan Danosky said he would likely recommend and seek approval of another bond issue to the Pinckney Community Schools Board of Education in time for the February 2010 election.
“We can’t do nothing,” Danosky said in November. “Doing nothing is not an option. We have to do something.”
Fowlerville super retires
After four decades of working for Fowlerville Community Schools, Ed Alverson retired as district superintendent in March. He had served in the role since 2000.
Alverson was praised at his retirement for turning the district’s finances around after assuming his leadership position during a severe budget deficit year. By 2004, Alverson had helped win voter approval for a $49.3 million bond proposal that paved the way for the current high school at the former junior high site.
Prior to serving as the top day-to-day schools chief, Alverson served as a teacher and then principal of Fowlerville High School. He left the district with no formal plans.
“When you regiment your life for 40 years, it’s time to become unregimented,” Alverson said in March. “It’s time to become spontaneous.”
Meanwhile, the school system welcomed Richard Heinrich as Alverson’s successor. Heinrich formerly served as assistant superintendent of Bangor Township Schools in the Bay City area.
Heinrich had his hands full shortly after entering the school system, which approved midyear layoffs and other cuts in November in response to a nearly $1.1 million budget deficit. The district lost more students and state aid than anticipated.
Renaissance closes
The Renaissance Alternative School in Howell closed in June after losing its largest funding provider — Howell Public Schools — with a January vote from the district’s board.
The school, managed by the Livingston Educational Service Agency intermediate school district, provided a path to graduation for Livingston County students at risk of dropping out.
Howell Public Schools board officials voted to withdraw the district’s participation from Renaissance because of concerns with the academic performance of the district’s 39 students enrolled at the school at the time as well cost concerns.
A contract involving LESA and the Howell, Brighton, Fowlerville and Pinckney school districts stated that if a district enrolling more than 20 students at Renaissance withdrew participation, the school had to close.
Renaissance had operated for 13 years.