Reading Tutoring Program Beneficial at Gros Cap, Superintendent Says
By Paul Gingras

The Reading Recovery program at Gros Cap School, funded by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, is proving to be beneficial for students and has drawn the interest of the intermediate school district, which may use Gros Cap as a model to help other local districts implement the program, reported Superintendent Bill Peltier Monday, September 17, at a board of education meeting.

Reading Recovery is a one-onone tutoring system for first grade students with literacy difficulties.

At Gros Cap, teacher Mary Cullen is tutoring the four first graders who are having the most difficulty in reading and writing. They receive personalized help 30 minutes a day for 20 weeks.

"The [students] that I have now definitely love coming," Mrs. Cullen said. "They ask for certain books and constantly want to show me what they can write."

Receiving special tutoring is not viewed negatively by other students, she said. Students in Reading Recovery tell their classmates about their tutoring sessions, which has caused several to ask to take part, she said.

"We are hoping that, in the long run, this will help with reading and writing on the MEAP test," she said.

Reading Recovery is funded this year by a $10,000 grant from the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The grant paid for all of the program's books and materials, and training for Mrs. Cullen, who attends three-hour instruction sessions every week at the Intermediate School District in Sault Ste. Marie. She will also attend a Reading Recovery seminar in November.

Some of the grant may pay for the program next year, she added.

Mrs. Cullen said Gros Cap is fortunate to have Reading Recovery, which has been cut in several districts.

Reading Recovery is seldom implemented at small schools, Mr. Peltier said.

Mrs. Cullen teaches kindergarten. For two hours each day, her students merge with the first grade for science and social studies lessons, and she uses that time for Reading Recovery.

EUPISD Millage

In other business, the board unanimously voted to support a millage proposal by the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District to fund special education for three years with a 0.75 mill tax levy in all 16 school districts in the E.U.P.

"I really feel we need to have [this millage] passed," said trustee Nancy Dandona, adding that the state requires schools to provide special education services, but offers no funding for the specialists and equipment needed to do so.

The board voted to support the millage, in part, because it would keep more money in the general fund, which is needed for regular classes, members noted.

The district's costs for providing special education services this year are approximately $65,000, Mr. Peltier said.

Board president Janice O'Boyle requested a spreadsheet from Mr. Peltier that details exactly how much Moran Township residents would pay in taxes, and how much the millage would produce for each district. She also asked for calculations for how much each property owner would pay. Board members need this information on hand to answer questions by area residents, she said.

The school now receives about $29,000 for its special education programs. If the millage passes, the district would receive an additional $33,000 for special education. This is about the amount the district will lose in 2008/2009, when the state replaces the Single Business Tax with the Michigan Business Tax, board members predict.

The new tax includes exemptions for businesses on combined commercial/industrial personal property, explained Ms. Dandona. The state has promised to return this lost revenue to districts through per-pupil funding, Mr. Peltier said, however, Gros Cap is one of a few schools in Michigan that does not receive per-pupil funding from the state.

Ahandful of small schools operate exclusively on taxes on second homes and businesses. Locally, these schools include Gros Cap, Mackinac Island, Whitefish Township, and Mackinaw City, Mr. Peltier said.

The loss of school revenue to districts like Gros Cap was an oversight by legislators when they created the Michigan Business Tax, reported Jennifer Benbow, legislative aide to State Representative Gary McDowell, in a letter to Mr. Peltier.

"The issue is something that the legislature intends to address in the near future," she reported, "but probably not until after the current budget situation is resolved."

In the meantime, schools will endure a cash flow problem, Mr. Peltier noted.

EUP Regional Curriculum

The board also voted unanimously to adopt the EUP Regional Curriculum. Developed by the Intermediate School District, the curriculum includes information covered on standardized tests like MEAP.

"That does not mean you have lost control over what you are teaching," Mr. Peltier said. "How you teach it, how you accomplish it, is still up to you."

Essentially, it means the local district accepts the state's guidelines, he said.

Having schools in the region teaching the same curriculum will enable districts to compare their data more easily, Mrs. O'Boyle said.

Local Band Program

A band schedule including Gros Cap students has been worked out, following a meeting with St. Ignace Area Schools Band Director Jason Byma and LaSalle High School Principal Don Gustafson, which took place prior to the board meeting.

Gros Cap's six eighth grade students will be bused to St. Ignace Schools and merge with one of Mr. Byma's band classes three days per week, for one hour.

"Band is one of those subjects that, if you look at the research, strongly enhances both knowledge of math and reading," Mr. Peltier said. "Music is a very positive force for higher level thinking skills and for learning in general."

District Busing Issues

Jennifer Powell, the mother of a Gros Cap kindergarten student who lives on Pte. Aux Chenes Road, asked the board to consider how difficult it is for kindergarten students to ride the bus for long periods of time, especially prior to allday kindergarten classes. She added that the state does not require kindergarten, and questioned why all-day sessions are necessary.

Mr. Peltier agreed that long bus rides are particularly hard on young students and special-needs students.

"Your point is well taken," Mr. Peltier said, adding that there is no easy solution to the transportation problem.

No action was taken by the board.

Improvements to School

Building

Most of the school's improvements are finished for the year, announced Gary Nitz of G.D. Nitz Associates at the meeting. A new furnace has been installed. Plumbing in the old portion of the school has been replaced. New flooring is in. New septic tanks, a dosing tank, and pumps have been installed, and Mr. Nitz reported that while excavating, he discovered a large, old septic system used for the old school. Mr. Nitz said he will examine the condition of the system and make repairs, which could potentially save the district money by enabling it to install a smaller septic system than planned, if parts of the old system are usable.

Electrical upgrades are to take place during winter break, and to avoid disrupting school, Mr. Nitz recommended waiting until next spring to complete landscaping projects.