School's Per Pupil Allowance To Increase
Les Cheneaux Community Schools
By Amy Polk

Les Cheneaux Community Schools will receive $87 more per pupil this school year with an increase in the district's foundation allowance from $7,525 for the 2006-2007 school year to $7,612 for 2007-2008.

The additional money will reduce the district's deficit, which was expected to grow beyond $16,000 this year after the September student count revealed 17 fewer students than anticipated. Michigan public and charter schools receive state aid payments based on how many students are enrolled.

Because of the student decline, "It's basically just a wash for us," Superintendent Rod Goehmann said of the foundation allowance increase at the board of education meeting November 19.

Michigan's 2007-2008 fiscal year budget adopted November 1 provided a foundation allowance increase between $48 and $96, based on a sliding scale that is intended to narrow the gap between the lowest and highest funded schools. Schools that received the minimum $7,108 last year will get an additional $96 per pupil this year. Schools that were receiving $8,385 or more will get an additional $48 per pupil. Schools getting anything in between will have their increase determined by a formula, which is why Les Cheneaux Community Schools is getting $87.

The district's enrollment was 331 students at the end of September.

Six years ago, the district had 105 more students and boasted a reserve of $476,027, he said. Since then, it has reduced the number of teachers from 33 to 24 and the total staff from 62 to 50, while revenues fell $375,468, from $2,895,040 to $2,519,572, because of fewer students.

Athletic Director Dave Duncan announced that Cedarville High School Principal Randy Schaedig is Coach of the Year for football in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. He led Cedarville to the Mid-Eastern Conference championship title, ending the season 10- 1, when the team lost to Central Lake in a Division Eight district championship game November 2.

Nine Cedarville coaches attended the first level of a coaches training program in October. The sixhour course included lessons on how coaches make a difference, effective instruction, the coach as a teacher, and sports medicine. The training is offered by Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) and the athletic department hopes the other five levels of training will be offered in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, he said, "so our coaches can complete this program."

Acooperative girls softball program has been formed between Cedarville and Pickford, following MHSAA approval November 7. Both schools already have an MHSAA-recognized cooperative boys baseball team, and they formed an informal girls softball team a year ago. Softball will be played in spring, at the same time as baseball.

School board members authorized Clark Township to collect summer school taxes on behalf of the district. Mr. Goehmann expects Clark Township to charge at least $3 per tax parcel, like it has in the past. He has received no notice changes to the collection rate, he said.

Homework Helpers, an afterschool program in which adults help students with school work, has started its second season. Mr. Cardwell named a group of Les Cheneaux Community Schools teachers and staff who have volunteered their time for at least one session, including himself and his wife, Kim Cardwell, Carrie Carr, Pat Feldhake, Judy Hamel, Alan Jacobus, Susie Rutledge, and Kathy Tassier.

They have been joined by retired schoolteachers Marci Alt- maier, Selma Edsinga, Evelyn Wilson, and Marcy Thompson, and community members Colleen Kozma, Lori Johnson, and Pam Schebel. Other volunteers are welcome to help, and can sign up by contacting Mrs. Altmaier. Homework Helpers is offered Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. at Les Cheneaux Community Library, within walking distance of the school.

Mr. Cardwell and Mr. Schaedig reported progress on the transition to Powerschool, a computer system that gives students and parents access to grades and school records. Students can see test grades by logging onto the school's Web site, and parents can check student progress. Staff learned more about how to use the program at an October 18 teacher in-service day.

"Powerschool has been a learning curve for all of us, but I think the parents will really enjoy it and like it," Mr. Schaedig said.

Mr. Cardwell said students are definitely catching on, and are looking forward to the feature that allows them to access grades online, at night, and even on weekends if a teacher posts results of a Friday test there.

The Les Cheneaux Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE) graduation program will be Wednesday, December 12, at 7 p.m. in the Old Gymnasium at the school. Mr. Cardwell invited everyone to come and support the fifth grade students as they receive certificates and awards, and read essays.