LCCS' Rauch To Retire After 18 Years
By Amy Polk

Margie Rauch

When Les Cheneaux elementary school students return from Christmas break, they will see one less familiar face at school. Elementary paraprofessional Margie Rauch's retirement was accepted Monday, December 17, by the Les Cheneaux Community Schools Board of Education. Her last day at school was Friday, December 21, and her retirement is effective December 30.

After 18 years with the school district, Mrs. Rauch said taking care of her husband's health has become her biggest priority, and working leaves less time for that.

In her years at the school, "she has proven to be a wonderful educator for our children," Elementary Principal Eric Cardwell said, and "her compassionate disposition has endeared her to hundreds of students throughout the years."

Mrs. Rauch has a particular talent for understanding the emotional needs of children that need to be fulfilled before education can begin, he added. "She was always there to give much needed hug or offer words of encouragement to students that often needed it the most," Mr. Cardwell said.

Former teacher Sue Drenth said, "I have been especially thankful for the way in which Margie speaks with children. She is firm, loving, and maintains their integrity and dignity throughout the process."

Mrs. Rauch started her career with the district in 1989 as a kindergarten teaching assistant, then expanded her educational skills by taking reading recovery courses. She has taught remedial reading skills to young elementary students, but has also performed hundreds of other jobs in the school, from secretarial tasks to teaching assistant. This year she worked in every grade level from kindergarten through sixth grade. She also served six years as the school representative for the district's Title VII Indian Education program, which recognized Mrs. Rauch in a letter to the board. Staff hosted a December 19 reception for her.

Old Buses Sold; Sherlund

Approved for Plowing

The board sold its two older buses to George Huff of Cedarville, who bid the highest of three bidders for a 1996 bus and 1997 bus. Mr. Huff will buy the 1996 bus for $900, and the 1997 bus for $1,200.

The board hired Rudy Sherlund Excavating to plow the school for $45 per hour using a regular truck, and $80 per hour using a front-end loader occasionally to move and bank snow. It was the only bid the district received.

More Revenue Helps

Reinstate Cuts

Trustees amended the general fund budget to accommodate $84,135 in more revenue and $73,600 in more expenses. The amendments will increase the spending budget from $3,408,134 to $3,481,734, but more revenue is allowing the district to reinstate some of the items it cut from the budget this summer, including busing for athletics and coaches' salaries. The Trojans Booster Club raised money and donated $14,000 to the district so it would not have to make athletic department cuts.

Among the changes, the most dramatic was in the operations and maintenance department, where rising fuel costs increased the heating budget from $94,000 to $118,500 for propane. Salary raises increased elementary and middle school instruction expenditures by $10,903, however, high school instruction expenses dropped by $1,094. Special education costs increased by $22,480 to accommodate salaries of mandatory part-time aides. Transportation costs increased by $11,293, owing to reinstatement of athletic busing and a $3,400 electric bill from two years of using the Mackinac County Road Commission garage on State Avenue. Some summer custodian hours were also reinstated, adding another $3,431 to the expense line.

General fund revenues also increased from $3,391,657 to $3,475,792, mostly because the district, like others in Michigan, is receiving a per-pupil foundation allowance increase. Les Cheneaux got $87 more per student, and the additional revenue helps reduce its $16,477 deficit to $5,942. The district has a $155,864 fund balance left over from last year, so there should be enough to cover the deficit. Trustee Dave Sudol pointed out, however, that $100,000 of the fund equity is reserved for any catastrophic insurance claims against the district's self-funded health insurance plan, so the district can only count on about $55,864 in equity.

PowerSchool Getting Use

High School Principal Randy Schaedig briefly updated the board on progress in converting the district to the PowerSchool computer program, after seven years of using MacSchool. Both are communication and information management tools for schools, but MacSchool was outdated and obsolete.

Employees, scheduled for at least three days of PowerSchool training, are learning more about the Webbased program designed to save administrators and teachers time by automating repetitive tasks like recording attendance. It also manages student information by recording term grades, attendance, cours- es, and graduation requirements. Students and parents can access this information online, at any time of the day. Users and staff can communicate more easily through e-mail, as well.

In the short time the program has been open to parent use, 32% of high school parents have accessed their child's information, Mr. Schaedig said.

New Technology and

Textbooks

Will Help Math Transition

Middle school mathematics and science teacher Christy Cloud said she has received many e-mails from parents who see their children struggling with Michigan's new, more rigorous mathematics requirements. Mrs. Cloud, Mr. Cardwell, and high school mathematics teacher Zack Sedgwick gave a presentation to the board about how each school is working to align the curriculum to prepare elementary and middle school students for more mathematics.

Michigan upgraded its high school graduation requirements from virtually none to standards for all subjects, including four years of mathematics. All three said the school's technology and textbooks must be upgraded as time and budget allow to help the district's students keep up.

The elementary mathematics curriculum is now being changed to help student prepare for the demands they will face in the higher grade levels, but many middle and high school students caught in the transition are facing those demands without such preparation. They are trying to tackle the more rigorous mathematics curriculum without some of the basic concepts younger students are learning now. Mr. Sedgwick said he can see in new high school textbooks how important learning these concepts in elementary school will be.

"The state has essentially pushed eighth grade students into high school. We have made as many modifications to the curriculum as we can to accommodate the students," Mrs. Cloud said in response to Trustee Dave Murray's questions about what teachers are doing to help students who are struggling.

She said more and more students are seeking help during her lunch hour and during detention periods. Few come after school because students have athletic practice and do not generally stay once school is out.

District Seeking New Van

Trustees authorized Superintendent Rod Goehmann to purchase a new school van to replace the one that caught on fire en route to a High School Quiz Team competition in early December.

Trustees set the maximum price at $15,000, but said they hope to spend no more than $12,000. Insurance compensated the school $5,125 for the loss, which Mr. Goehmann will use as a down payment. He hopes to finance a van with monthly payments of around $250. The district averaged about 20,000 miles a year in the six years it owned the van.