NEWS FROM ST. IGNACE AREA SCHOOLS
BY MIKE SPRINGSTEEN, SUPERINTENDENT

Summer for most schools means time to do yearly cleaning and repairs throughout the district. In the St. Ignace Area Schools, classrooms and offices are cleaned on a daily basis. When school is out for students, however, the maintenance staff goes into overdrive emptying classrooms, stripping floors, cleaning carpets, and doing the kinds of maintenance and repairs that are difficult to do while classes are in session. This summer, in addition to regular custodial care, two classrooms and two office areas will receive new tile or new carpet.

The middle school was built in 1991 and in many of the classrooms, the flooring is showing its age. The school board is committed to redoing a few floors each year. The high school gymnasium and the middle school gymnasium were both lightly sanded and received a new coat of varnish, making them look like new. The top half of the middle school gym roof will be reshingled and receive additional ice and water shield.

The summer is also a time for teaching staff to take additional educational classes and for planning to take place that will bring improvements in the next year's program. Teachers and administrators are attending two area-wide planning sessions that review test data from the 2006/2007 school year to make modifications in the program for the 2007/2008 school year. Principals use this time to review student demographics to make staff assignments.

In St. Ignace, the overall student population has been following the same general trend lines as the rest of the Upper Peninsula. In 1995, the St. Ignace Area Schools had a K-12 population of 850 students. Based on our best guess at this time, we estimate that our K-12 population for 2007/2008 will be 725 students. Declining student numbers put a strain on schools resources, as funding is based almost entirely on a legislated dollar amount for each student attending the school.

A loss of a few students each year means less money each year. Last year, the legislature allocated $7,108 per student for students in the St. Ignace Area Schools. At this time, the legislature has not acted to set the funding level for 2007/2008.

The 2007/2008 budget adopted by the St. Ignace Area Schools Board of Education reflects two fewer teaching staff members than last year, estimates 25 fewer students, is based on the same perpupil allotment as last year and estimates a $164,000 deficit. That budget estimates at the end of the year the district should have an unreserved fund balance of $275,000 which is approximately 4.2% of its $6.5 million budget. No teachers were laid off, but two who resigned were not replaced.

Despite the financial crunch that all districts in the state are feeling, every effort is made to continue to deliver a quality program to the students of the community. Highly qualified teachers staff every level of the program.

In the elementary schools, all teachers and students have the services of qualified para professionals. In addition to receiving the state core curriculum, all elementary students receive music, art, physical education, and technology. Students may opt to begin taking band at the fifth grade. At the upper levels, in addition to the state core curriculum, students are offered a variety of honors level mathematics, science, and English courses. High School Band, Jazz Band, Steel Drum Band, Pep Band, Choir, Art I, II, III and IV, foreign language, business, and technology classes provide other educational opportunities. At state level competitions, the metal shop curriculum has produced many student award winners. Each year, students who opt for the home-building class "stick-build" a 1,000 square-foot home. That program is a partnership with HOME, a group that seeks to make home ownership a financial reality for all. Online classes and interactive television classes give additional honors and college dual enrollment opportunities for students.

Something that should not be taken for granted is free transportation to and from school, available to every student. A free breakfast is offered to all that desire and an excellent hot lunch is served each day.

The extracurricular athletic program is very comprehensive, offering football, boys and girls basketball, wrestling, volleyball, boys and girls track, baseball, softball, boys and girls cross country, golf, cheerleading, dance, and boys and girls bowling. The last few years have seen approximately 25% of the senior class enroll in a work experience program that is tied to their individual educational plan. In last year's graduating class, 70% enrolled in college this fall.

The 2007/2008 school year begins Tuesday September 4. With everybody working to make it so, another year as good as, if not better than, the last, is expected.