Bay-Arenac ISD

Mike's Monday Memo

10/19/2005

Mike’s Monday Memo

Here’s what’s up for the week of October 17, 2005:

Career Center Cafeteria – The Career Center Cafeteria renovation project is 90% complete and it looks great. Just a few more things to add and we will be done. I would like to thank the staff for your understanding during this project. If you haven’t seen the changes, I would ask you to stop by. I think you, too, will be impressed.
Commercial Credit Cards - Some of you have received your statements this past week. Just as a reminder, please remember to review the statement, sign off and forward to your director or designated person.
Great Things Happening? - If you have some good news to share, please forward it to Katie Legner so we can include it in the weekly memo.
Strategic Planning - Just as a reminder we have over nine different teams working on a variety of district strategies. If you would like more information on how you can get involved just give Brenda or me a call.
Something to “Think” About - The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn. – Sir John Lubbock
Did you know? – The Bay-Arenac ISD has over 260 full-time employees and approximately 20 part-time employees. Many thanks to Connie Frank for her help. I will attempt to share more and more each week with you about our ISD. I feel that if your staff knows some of these important facts about our ISD, we can share our good news with others. So, if you have information about our ISD pass it on to me and I’ll include it.
Jean Day – Remember that on Friday October 21^st and October 28^th, we are having a jean day! If you choose to wear jeans on those days, please remember to send or bring your $3.00 or a stocking stuffer to Katie Legner. The money will go toward the Salvation Army Stocking Stuffer Fundraiser. Thank you!
United Way – United Way contributions need to be turned into Terri Steih by Friday, October 28, 2005.
The 2005-06 Directory is ready! – The directory is available on our web-site (www.baisd.net) and can be accessed by clicking on the yellow tab entitled “Bay-Arenac ISD Schools, then click “District Directory.” The directory can now be viewed/printed in its entirety or by school district. Directories in printed copy are available from Linda Gilbert, Bay-Arenac ISD Print Shop at a charge of $8.00 each. If you know anyone in the community that would like to purchase a copy, please direct them to Linda. Bay-Arenac ISD internal extensions are attached in this email.
Board Meeting - Our next Board meeting will be today at 4:00 p.m. at the Educational Service Center. All staff is welcome to attend.
Birthday Wishes – 10/17 John Klass, Constance Nemode;10/18 Andrew Bacigalupo, Marianne Durocher; 10/20 Debra Murphy; 10/21 Theresa Valent. 10/23 Cathy Hamann-Lee, Billie Rase. Happy Birthday!
Labor Day Start Bill progresses despite education community objection – Prohibiting schools from starting school before Labor Day is on its way to the Governor’s desk for her signature. This legislation will take effect for the beginning of the 2006-07 school year unless there is a current collective bargaining agreement in place.
New Regulations for School Employee Background Checks – Sweeping legislation dealing with criminal history checks for school employees was recently passed and is expected to be signed by the Governor. This legislation is a result of some audits that showed individuals employed by school districts had criminal histories that should have impacted their employment status, but had gone unnoticed because of the glitches in the past system. The legislation will result in an additional cost either for the school district or the employees depending on how it is implemented at the local level.
Schools to receive $175 per student – The school aid bill for the 2005-06 school year will be signed by the Governor as is printed in this month’s issue of the MASB Headlines. Although we all hoped for more revenue in the School Aid Fund, this budget is the best we could have expected given the current economy. This bill will give each school a $175 per pupil increase in state aid and maintain the most important categoricals at last year’s levels. Below is a brief summary of the appropriations by specific categorical.

Developmental Kindergarten – fully funded for 2005-06, but intent language to change how this will be funded next year.
Declining Enrollment – remains the same for small, sparsely populated districts.
Foundation Allowance – secured at $6,875 per pupil.
At-Risk Funding – remains at current appropriation.
ISD General Funding – same level of funding, but with language changes in middle school math and early childhood education.
Math/Science Centers – same funding as last year.
Michigan Future Grants – new categorical for middle school math that is $10 per pupil and is to be administered by the ISDs for their local districts.

What we need to keep in mind as we look at this budget is that our fixed cost for retirement and current employee health care are rising faster than state appropriations. Some school districts have reported that the $175 per pupil increase may not even cover the growth in those two items. This is something that the public needs to be made aware of because they will read in the newspapers about the monetary increase and assume financial conditions are better in schools when they are not. Also, as you talk to legislators, remind them that we could have done much better had they not taken approximately $100 million in general funds away from us this year. If $100 million was protected, schools would have seen an additional increase to the foundation by $60 per student.

Words to live by this week:

Every passing day is one that is gone forever. Make sure it is one in which you have done something for others, especially those who cannot do for themselves.

— Unknown