By the end of November, Les Cheneaux Community Schools will have a paved parking lot at the south end of the Elementary School. The Board of Education awarded its paving contract to Norris Contracting of Sault Ste. Marie for $18,715 Monday, October 17, at the regular board meeting.

Norris had the lowest of three bids that included H and D Contracting of Bay Shore for $19,416 and Payne and Dolan of Gaylord for $22,500. The bid specifications require the project be finished by November 30. The project will include laying asphalt over the existing gravel parking lot, which was the former site of the school's central office. Since the office building was demolished, the space has served as parking for the Elementary School, athletic field, and playground.

The district will eventually pave a long path from the parking lot to the playground, but the project was not in this year's budget. The path provides barrier-free access to the playground, and is now covered with hard gravel. Paving is expected to prevent wash-out on the hillside, and will make access to the playground a little easier.

Earlier this fall, the Board of Education elected to pave the parking area this year instead of paving the pathway to the playground and replacing the school's aging tennis court. The district is using the money allotted from "sinking fund" revenue generated by a five-year special millage. The millage is supposed to generate $72,500 a year for five years, starting with the 2003-2004 school year. The money is spent on improvements to the school facilities, and so far has purchased steps and disabled access ramps to the school, crosswalk signage, parking bumpers, concession stand improvements, canopy and railing, industrial arts shop improvements, track improvements, and a facelift for the Old Gymnasium stage. Because of rising property values, the district will collect $81,589 in the 2005-2006 school year.

Trustees plan to pick up the pathway and tennis court projects next year, when the district can afford both. Superintendent Rod Goehmann said preliminary cost estimates for paving a path to the playground and replacing the old tennis court exceeded what the district could afford with this year’s sinking fund money.

Bus Purchase and Sale

In other news, trustees elected to sell the district's 1991 school bus to Huff's Repair of Cedarville for $1,501. Mr. Huff's bid was the only bid for the bus.

Trustees also resolved to join the Michigan School Business Officials and Michigan Association of Pupil Transportation bus purchasing program, which will administer bus purchases over the next five years. A special millage approved by voters in the spring will provide enough money for the district to buy one new bus each year for the next five years. The district plans to spend more than $60,000 on a bus and about $2,700 in interest and legal fees. Any remaining balance will probably be used by the end of the five-year bus purchasing period, Superintendent Rod Goehmann said.

Student Count Down from August Projections

Mr. Goehmann reported that the district’s student count in September was nine students fewer than what school officials previously projected in August. The district was expecting 384 students, but ended up with only 375 students enrolled full time. Mr. Goehmann said the district actually receives state aid for 379 students, but four of them are “part-time” students who use some of the school services or facilities although they are not enrolled as full-time students. The schools had 415 full-time students in September 2004. Fewer students means less state aid for the district.

“We’ve cut our budget about as low as we can get it,” Mr. Goehmann said.

Budget Amendments Adopted

The Board adopted budget amendments that added $12,240 to the General Fund budget deficit of $62,492. Trustees adopted $3,429,384 in revenues and $3,504,116 in expenditures, leaving $74,732 in expenditures not covered by the this year’s projected revenues. Money from the district’s fund equity will be used to cover the deficit, which was caused primarily by funding reductions in federal and state assistance grants provided for school programs. A food service deficit created another added expense, as $3,397 of General Fund money will be used to cover the food service expenses. Trustees at last month’s meeting elected to raise meal prices to help cover the deficit and increasing expenses, but the new revenue from the higher prices apparently still won’t be enough. The General Fund will also cover a $4,178 deficit in the athletic fund. The district is projected to spend $96,066 and take in $91,888 in revenues.

High School Report

High School Principal Randy Schaedig announced that Valerie Masuga has been named the Mathematics Regional Teacher of the Year by the Michigan Council of Teachers. She was expected to receive the award from the Council last week.

A group of German students visited the school last month through an exchange program based in Holland. They stayed at the First Union Church and spent two class periods at Cedarville High School with a guide from the school.

“It was a real interesting couple of hours with them here,” Mr. Schaedig commented.

He spoke to trustees about graduation requirements, and submitted a report comparing Cedarville High School’s graduation requirements to 292 other schools’ requirements.

Of those schools, requirements were predominantly four years of English language arts, three years of mathematics and social studies, two years of science, and no language, family and consumer science, or art requirements. Cedarville mirrored most of the schools that responded, with the exception of requiring three years of English and three years of science. According to the report, there does not seem to be any consistency in academic requirements, nor do the technology requirements of one year or less seem adequate enough to meet the changing work and educational environment.

“I think there will be a real movement toward aligning schools with each other and making the requirements more consistent,” Mr. Schaedig said. “I think there must be some more standardization coming down the pike.”

Elementary School Report

Principal Eric Cardwell reported that the school raised $1,818 for hurricane relief through various fundraisers. The money was given to the American Red Cross last week.

During the school year 2004-2005, every parent or guardian of an elementary school student attended either the fall or spring conferences, or both. Mr. Cardwell assembled a historical account of parent participation in student-led conferences in preparation for an Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District presentation. Participation seems to have increased with the introduction of student-led conferences. In 2003-2004, for instance, 89.4 percent of adults participated in traditional parent-teacher conferences, while 95.8 percent participated in student-led conferences.

Homework laboratory, an afterschool session that provides students with an instructor to help with assignments, started Thursday, October 20. Special Education teacher Becky Meyers monitors the session and provides assistance when necessary. She is joined by tutor Judy Hamel. Homework laboratory is available each Thursday, from 3:06 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.