Voters in the St. Ignace Area Schools district will be asked to approve 0.55 mill for the construction of a wood chip heating plant, new buses, and new computers and accessories, the school board decided Monday, December 14. The millage could be on a ballot as early as May and, if approved, would be levied for 11 years and raise $2.4 million.

At Monday's school board meeting, trustees also heard that state funding cuts have been put on hold, agreed to consolidate some services with other districts in exchange for $120,000, retained the district's existing auditing firm for another year, and approved continuation of Title VII Indian education money.

The millage for school improvements was endorsed November 11 by an ad hoc citizens advisory committee of about 30 area residents assigned to make suggestions for funding school operations. The citizens said they would help the district promote the millage to voters.

The millage would raise enough to replace all the district's buses, buy interactive digital projection boards, named SMART boards by one manufacturer, for every classroom, buy a computer for each student in grades five through 12, buy a 30-computer laptop cart for Kindergarten through grade four, and build an estimated $800,000 wood chip heating facility, which is projected to save the district $80,000 a year in heating costs. The millage would raise 55¢ for each $1,000 in property valuation. A $100,000 home, therefore, would be assessed $27.50 a year.

Superintendent Mike Springsteen said he will meet with bonding agents from Stauder Barch and Associates, consult with attorneys, meet with architects and construction management firms regarding the heating facility, and with State Treasury officials to review the plan and the millage.

Governor Jennifer Granholm has announced that a $127 perpupil cut in school aid payments has been temporarily suspended and, if reversed, could mean up to $80,000 in additional funding for the district. The state is taking another look, Mr. Springsteen said, because districts spent less than authorized in 2009 and because of an unexpected increase in homestead property tax values.

District Business Manager Kathy McLeod said, however, the matter is still too tenuous to bother amending the 2009-2010 budget at this time.

A separate $165 per-pupil cut to state aid has not been reduced or eliminated.

The school board agreed to consolidate services with other districts, to save money, in exchange for flexibility in how the district can spend certain state funds. The district will sign a Consolidation of Services agreement with the Michigan Department of Education, designed to reduce operating costs in the state's school districts.

Consolidated services, in the case of the St. Ignace district, would mostly be for at-risk students, Mr. Springsteen told the board, but funds for these types of services currently carry stipulations for how the funds are spent.

"In recognition of the fact that we have less money this year than we had last year," he said, "they will allow us some flexibility with our categorical funds."

The release of these funds, which amount to about $120,000 in St. Ignace, would last for at least a year and allow the district to spend any of the money without the usual restrictions.

He said since the district consolidates services whenever possible, anyway, signing the agreement should be a "no-brainer."

"This way, we can spend it in any way we want to spend it," Mr. Springsteen said, "in whatever way is best for our programs."

Shared busing and athletics with Moran Township, shared special education busing with the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District, and coordinated technology and curriculum planning through the ISD are a few of the examples of how St. Ignace already cooperates with other area schools, Mr. Springsteen said.

Harris Group of Petoskey was named Monday night as the district's auditor for the next three years at a cost of $27,500.

The district received four bids, and Mrs. McLeod said one bid was slightly lower than the one accepted, but felt the positive experience the district has had with Harris Group and the fact the firm is familiar with district records and systems made it worth it to spend a little more.

The Harris Group has done audits for St. Ignace Schools for the last three years.

The lowest bid was from Rehmann Group of Traverse City for $27,000 for three years. The other firms from Anderson Tackman of Kincheloe for $29,700 and Baird Cotter and Bishop of Cadillac for $33,875.

The board approved Indian education policy and procedures for the year, required to receive Title VII funding from the federal government for Native American programs. The document was put together by a Title VII Indian Education committee and High School Principal Don Gustafson and has been reviewed by another committee of school parents, Mr. Springsteen said.

Mr. Gustafson also reported there was no significant difference in last year's MEAP scores between Indian and non-Indian students in grades three to 11. The report is made each year when the policy is reviewed.

St. Ignace Schools expects to receive about $100,000 in Title VII funding this year