Local schools should consider pooling their resources and eliminating the concept of school districts, suggested Pete Everson during the EUP School Board Association meeting at LaSalle High School in St. Ignace Tuesday, October 20. Mr. Everson is the superintendent of the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District. Instead of districts, schools could think in terms of high schools, middle schools, and grade schools, he said.

"We need to starting thinking about 'our' kids instead of 'my' kids," Mr. Everson said, speaking before an audience of school administrators and school board members from across the area.

School officials met Tuesday to discuss the financial challenges schools across the state are facing. Mr. Everson suggested the elimination of districts as a way to save money. No decisions were reached about the proposal.

Combining services can lead to savings, Mr. Everson told The St. Ignace News. When Moran Township and the City of St. Ignace combined their bus routes, for example, the result was an annual savings of $45,000.

Mr. Everson said he wanted to know if the schools would be receptive to the idea if none of them were shut down. The overall goal of the idea, he said, is to ensure children receive an equal, quality education.

Mike Springsteen, superintendent

at St. Ignace, told The St. Ignace News the concept would have to be examined from every angle, and would have to save money. If the idea could work, he said, the next question would be how to put it into action.

Daniel Reattoir, superintendent at Sault Ste. Marie, echoed Mr. Springsteen's remarks. More information on the concept is needed, he told The St. Ignace News, such as tax rates and bond issues.

William Peltier, superintendent of Gros Cap School in Moran Township, said he is open to the idea. With the state budget crisis looming over the school systems, something needs to be done.

"Crisis is the root of invention," Mr. Peltier said.

Politicians in Lansing approved a $165-per-student reduction in the public school aid bill last week, placing additional funding pressure on schools across Michigan.

Consultant Ken Sikkema spoke at the meeting and said he does not believe the per-pupil finance structure will be adequate to support schools in the future. Developing a new model may ultimately be up to educators. Mr. Sikkema is a former Michigan Senate majority leader and is now a senior policy fellow at Public Sector Consultants.

"I don't think you can depend on the state to drive these changes," Mr. Sikkema said.

Jeff Williams, a senior vice president for Public Sector Consultants, made several suggestions on how schools could save money, including the use of distance learning for some districts that are separated from each other. For example, lectures could be watched on computers and then a test taken with a local tutor. Students could also use the ISD's interactive television network distance learning studios. He stressed distance learning would be best for older students, rather than younger children.

Mr. Williams also proposed using conferencing technology to attend professional development meetings, to eliminate the distance some educators have to travel to reach each meeting.

The impact of state funding on each school in the EUP was prepared by the consultants. While $165 per pupil will be cut from the school aid budget, the estimation also took into account a $264 million shortfall in the school aid budget and an additional $75 million shortfall. Once all factors were considered, an estimate of what the school aid budget's impact was provided for each local district. The estimates included a best case, likely case, and worst case scenario (see box for "likely case" estimates). The school aid budget is not yet finalized.

A history of how public schools are funded was also presented during the meeting. Mr. Williams and Mr. Sikkema explained most schools before 1994 were funded entirely through property taxes, but changed to state funding through a different funding structure under a ballot initiative called Proposal A. Since its development, most schools derive 70% of their operating funds from the school aid fund, Mr. Sikkema said.

Estimated Change in General Revenue Likely Case Scenario for 2009-2010

St. Ignace Area Schools:
-$421,923
Moran Township School
District: -$62,419
Pickford Public Schools:
-$197,241
Les Cheneaux Community
Schools: -$189,050
Tahquamenon Area
Schools: -$620,895
Whitefish Township
Schools: -$36,392
Detour Area Schools:
-$192,847
Rudyard Area Schools:
-$288,006
Engadine Consolidated
Schools: $22,603
Brimley Area Schools:
-$95,489
Mackinac Island Public
Schools: -$5,506
Sault Ste. Marie Area
Schools: -$1,191,947