The 314 students enrolled at Les Cheneaux Community Schools this fall is good news: Enrollment is three more than last year, and 22 more than the district predicted last spring. It doesn't necessarily mean the district will receive more state funding, however, said business manager Kris Hill at a meeting of the board of education Monday, September 21. That won't be known until the Michigan Legislature passes the State Aid Act for 2009, probably the last day of September.

The current three-year enrollment averaging system calculated the district's last fiscal-year funding based on a 340 student average, which cushions the blow for districts that are losing students. The state may yet change how per-pupil funding is calculated, possibly moving to a two year pupil average or no average at all.

Per-pupil state funding was $7,713 last year, but is expected to be lowered by budget cuts in Lansing.

"More than likely," Mrs. Hill said, "it's not going to be an increase for us. We're on a downward trend from the previous three-years. It'll still be less funding than last year."

Student enrollment at Cedarville has declined about 25% over the past five years and state funding has declined with it. The district projects $2,951,075 in total revenue this year, down almost $300,000 from last year.

The rise in students over the projections this year is a combination of home-schooled students returning to public school for non-core classes, school-of-choice students, and new families who have moved to the area. Promotion by the district to attract students can be attributed to some of the increase in enrollment, Mrs. Hill said.

"I don't know that we really know where they're coming from. . . . I would say some of them are school-of-choice students. We do have a couple that were homeschooled for a few years and came back," she said. "I think its a little bit of everything. It doesn't take too many families of four kids to increase [total enrollment] 20 students."

Community Foundation To Use

Elementary Office

Les Cheneaux Community Foundation will be moving into an office at Cedarville Elementary to accommodate its gradual expansion. The school board agreed to allow the organization to use the unused office for $50 a month, which is the estimated electric bill for the office use.

The Foundation will hire a parttime staff person to work 10-hours per week in the office, and will provide its own equipment and supplies.

"This is for right now," Superintendent Amy Scott said. "I wouldn't be surprised if in the summer it increased and they would request increased time, because that seems to be when there's a lot more interaction with their donors. I actually think this is a good thing for the district and a good thing for the Community Foundation."

The nonprofit philanthropic organization will use the district's telephone system for making local calls and a foundation cellular telephone for long-distance calls. The Community Foundation is currently using a smaller office in the Les Cheneaux Welcome Center on M- 134.

Problems with Telephones A letter went home with students Tuesday, September 22, advising parents that the district is having problems with its telephone system, including phone outages and all the extensions in the building ringing for an incoming call.

Administrator cellular telephone numbers were provided in the letter for parents to get in contact with district officials if unable to reach anyone at the school on the normal telephone line. The district has been having telephone trouble all summer.

"Our phone system is not functioning properly," Mrs. Scott said. "At times there will be phone outages for an hour-and-a-half. It is giving us a lot of interruptions. When parents can't get ahold of their school, we have a problem. We're trying to work out the problem."