| Observer; 11/2/06 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 2 2006, 07:52 AM (1,792 Views) | |
| NFarquharson | Nov 2 2006, 07:52 AM Post #1 |
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http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...qSTA9a8TbSzI%3D LPS misses enrollment count deadline District receives extension as student numbers decline BY REBECCA JONES STAFF WRITER The report was due Nov. 1, but Livonia Public Schools didn't have its research done, district officials said. Instead, administrators plan to have 2006-07 enrollment figures ready in time for Monday's school board meeting. The student count is important because it determines how much money the district will get in state aid. This year, it also gives taxpayers insight about how the district's Legacy Initiative is shaping up in its first year. On Wednesday, Supt. Randy Liepa said he didn't have complete results of the district's "fourth Wednesday" attendance record, which was taken five weeks earlier. He estimated the student loss at over 400. Figures were due to the intermediate school district by Nov. 1. "We've asked for a couple of days extension," he said. "It's definitely going to be over a 2 percent reduction," Liepa said. "We knew we would lose students this year, and we lost more than we thought." The district collects $8,490 per pupil from the state for each full-time student. A 2.5 percent loss would be about 425 students -- or $3.6 million -- based on last year's estimate of 17,000 K-12 students. Liepa said any shortfall in the district's budget would be covered by its fund equity, which stood at $10.9 million as of June 30. LPS typically doesn't adjust its budget mid-year, he said. Enrollment patterns have not caused any shifts in the number of classrooms or teachers needed at any grade level since school began, Liepa said. During a board meeting Oct. 16, Trustee Tom Bailey said that it had already been "a number of weeks" since the count was taken. "At this time I'm disappointed," Bailey said. "It's probably a little bit too long ... I just wish we had been on top of this a little bit better." Liepa said this week that the report is not taking longer than usual this year. However, he said: "In any other year it's not as sensitive as it is this year." "There's some finalization that occurs in (figuring enrollment for) special education and shared time programs," he said. "That's what takes a while." Liepa said he didn't know when the figures were due. "I don't know what the deadline is," Liepa said. "It is usually around Nov. 1. That could mean Nov. 3 or it could mean Nov. 5." Last year, the district decided to close seven schools, reconfigure grades of elementary schools and save money under a plan called the Legacy Initiative. Officials had predicted a $1.8 million savings this year. However, actual enrollment figures could affect that amount. The loss can be attributed to the Legacy Initiative among other reasons, Liepa acknowledged. Some families have moved and others chose to attend private schools, he said. LPS will try to track families who have left the district. "We're going to try to do that, but people come and they go," Liepa said. Follow-up or "exit interviews" with families who withdraw from a district are not typical. "We do get requests (from other schools) for student records," he said. LPS was among the majority of Wayne County districts that had not submitted enrollment projections as of Nov. 1, said Beverly Finlayson, manager of student accounting and auditing for the Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency. "I allow them a little leeway," Finlayson said. Because Wayne County districts are big, she said, "if they're experiencing difficulty, we give them a break." The intermediate school district has until Nov. 15 to submit its reports to the state. "That's the bottom-line deadline," Finlayson said. If the state hasn't received the figures by then, it has the authority to withhold funding. "We always make the Nov. 15 deadline." Staff writer Dave Varga contributed to this story. rrjones@hometownlife.com | (734) 953-2054 Originally published November 2, 2006 |
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| NFarquharson | Nov 2 2006, 07:53 AM Post #2 |
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http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/.../611020390/1027 Mayor: Prop 5 would slash city budget BY REBECCA JONES STAFF WRITER Guaranteeing more money for Michigan public schools could put a $200,000 dent in Livonia's budget, according to Mayor Jack Engebretson. He opposes Proposal 5, which would require the state to increase education funding by $565 million, with yearly increases at the rate of inflation. Other state department budgets, like state-shared revenue, would likely face cuts. "This is just a really bad idea on steroids," Engebretson said. "It is a proposal we believe has so many components of potential hazard." House Republican Speaker Craig DeRoche, R-Novi, and state Rep. Scott Hummel, R-DeWitt, stopped in Livonia Monday as part of a statewide campaign against Proposal 5. "The governor calls it irresponsible. I call it reckless," said DeRoche, who said he and Gov. Jennifer Granholm have the same opinion on the matter, but he's taken the lead on speaking against it. If passed, the proposal would create a $698 million shortfall in the state budget in the first year, said Hummel, chairman of the state appropriations committee. To make up for that, the state would have to raise taxes or cut all other departmental budgets by 10 percent. Municipalities would see a $39 million reduction in state revenue sharing, he said. "It would have a very real, very immediate effect on communities," DeRoche said. "These cuts would have to come before Christmas. Police and firefighters will be hit in a very large way. . . . The mayor is going to be in a very uncomfortable position." Livonia receives about $2 million each year in state-shared revenue. A $200,000 cut is the equivalent to two police officers' jobs, Engebretson said. "It causes us great concern," Engebretson said. "We're on the edge. We don't have any more to give." Livonia has already cut 90 positions in the past four years, he added. Public safety accounts for 60 percent of the city's budget. As the largest portion of the budget, it would be targeted for cuts, Engebretson said. "We just don't have any other place to go." If Proposal 5 passes, by the next academic year, the initiative would increase the current basic foundation allowance of $7,085 to $7,136 per pupil. DeRoche said there are no guarantees that money will make it to the classrooms. "There's no downside to education if you vote no," DeRoche said. "A 'no' vote will not take a dime away from education." Candidates for the state House seat, incumbent Rep. John Pastor and Democratic challenger Brian Duggan are both against Proposal 5. "While I will be voting 'no' on Proposal 5 because it ties the hands of our Legislature," Duggan said, "I do support the goal, which is full-funding for our schools." rrjones@hometownlife.com | (734) 953-2054 Originally published November 2, 2006 |
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| NFarquharson | Nov 2 2006, 07:54 AM Post #3 |
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http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/.../611020395/1027 Teacher helps students 'get it' BY REBECCA JONES STAFF WRITER Three little words can make a teacher's day. "I get it!" "Those are good words to hear," said Holmes Middle School teacher Isolina Carlini. "It's all we work for. That's it right there." Carlini, who teaches reading and language arts, was named Middle School Teacher of the Year. She and two other top teachers will be honored at the Nov. 6 school board meeting. Carlini has taught at Holmes for nine years, but was first attracted to Livonia Public Schools a decade prior to that while working as a substitute teacher. In other districts, she said, students can be terrors to a substitute. "I've had things thrown at me," she said. That wasn't the case at LPS. "All of the buildings were so nicely administrated, and the students were well behaved," Carlini said. "I always knew, if I were to be hired, it would be a privilege to teach for LPS." At Holmes, Carlini also serves as the building's learning specialist, helping students who have had academic issues or other encumbrances. She was nominated for teacher of the year twice before. However, she was surprised by the news that she'd won. What she thought was a staff meeting turned out to be a party in her honor. "They had a banner, a cake, roses and my family was secretly brought in," she said. Prior to joining LPS full time, Carlini taught at the district's School-Age Child Care program. She has also taught writing and English courses at Eastern Michigan University, Oakland University and Dorsey Business School. Carlini, a Saline resident and mother of three, still enjoys going to school herself. She earned her undergraduate degree and secondary teaching certification at Oakland University and holds a master's degree in written communication, composition and rhetoric from Eastern Michigan University. The daughter of Italian immigrants, Carlini said her heritage played a big role in her life. "I think it brings a lot to my teaching," she said. "My father died never really learning to read or write. The value of education has always been very important to my family. I think he would have been very proud." rrjones@hometownlife.com | (734) 953-2054 Originally published November 2, 2006 |
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| NFarquharson | Nov 2 2006, 07:55 AM Post #4 |
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http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/.../611020397/1027 Board, residents offer give/take on funds, Legacy BY DAVE VARGA STAFF WRITER Two Livonia Public Schools board members, three administrators and five residents spent an hour and a half Monday evening in an informal, give-and-take, talk about fund balances, student counts and, of course, the Legacy Initiative. The occasion was one of the board's new community conversation talks, small groups (usually up to 25 people) featuring less than a quorum of board members and district officials talking with residents to answer questions in meetings that are not public, not open to all and not recorded. This was the first topic-specific meeting (finances) and the first that a reporter was invited to attend. Participants were pleased, thanking school officials for taking the time to answer questions on often complex issues. On the heels of an audit report a couple weeks ago, Livonia resident Maggie Fehr asked about the district's enrollment estimates used for budgeting, and how losing more students than expected might lead to budget cuts. Supt. Randy Liepa said the district uses a variety of factors in setting student count numbers. As for cuts, Liepa said, the district doesn't make mid-year cuts, in fact teacher contracts forbid layoffs after June 1. "That's why you have a fund balance," he said. "We'd just as soon go to the fund balance to balance the budget in the middle of the year." The state has, in the past, also made districts pay back foundation grant money in the middle of the school year. The last time Livonia paid back about $1 million was in 2003-04. That was four years ago, right after a state election, noted school board Trustee Cynthia Markarian. Resident Melanie Ricketts asked the board members there whether they would have voted differently on the Legacy Initiative if they had known of the positive financial results in the recent audit. (As of June 30, the district showed a fund balance that was more than $3 million higher than what was expected.) "To me, it would not have changed my mind," said board president Lynda Scheel. "Finances were not the biggest issue we were facing." She identified the need to improve the educational program, teacher collaboration and making structural changes like closing schools all at once. In addition, some of that fund balance increase was based on one-time revenue, she noted. Markarian agreed. "We were looking at a long-term plan," she said. Resident Loyd Romick asked whether, given unlimited funding, the board would have still gone with this plan. Scheel said that unlimited funding would have allowed more schools to stay open, plus smaller class sizes. Romick also asked how the district would measure success of this program, using the term "experiment" in his comments. Scheel said the board uses benchmarks such as test scores and regular reports by curriculum chairs and department heads. Markarian reacted to the terminology. "This wasn't an experiment. These are our kids, too. We wouldn't have done this if there was a chance this wouldn't work." Asked about the loss of students this fall, Liepa said the estimate was about 2.5 percent -- more than 400 students. That's well over the anticipated loss, something that other districts, including Southfield and Northville, also experienced, he added. "I'm floored," said resident Eileen McDonnell in response to the loss of 2.5 percent. People didn't like the plan and said they were going to pull out of the district, she said. McDonnell asked about followup studies to find out why they left and where they went. "Would it be fair to say," Scheel asked, "no matter what plan we went with we would lose kids?" For instance, Liepa said, some district residents had opposed a proposal of a few years ago to move sixth-graders to the middle school. "There were people who said you do that and I'm out," he said. Both Fehr and Ricketts raised their hands in agreement. The idea of closing schools in increments -- two this year, two next year -- was also discussed. "That's a turmoil that's constantly going on, year after year," Ricketts said. "It's one of those things where you're darned if you do and darned if you don't." Romick said the district, at some point, should be run like a business, in terms of focusing on customers. Otherwise, residents will exercise the option of taking their children out. Liepa replied: "We were also getting a lot of pressure from people (saying) if you continue to cut programs, we're going to leave." Fehr asked about bidding out to switching the district auditors to keep them "as independent as you can." Plante & Moran has long audited the district's books, and their specialty is government work and school districts, said Lisa Levesque, LPS finance director. Many of the other big firms didn't bid during previous requests for proposals. There are smaller firms that do, she said. "If they've got a handful of districts as opposed to 30 or 40, who's going to be more on top of the issues?" she asked. dvarga@hometownlife.com | (734) 953-2119 Originally published November 2, 2006 |
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| NFarquharson | Nov 2 2006, 07:56 AM Post #5 |
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http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/.../611020399/1027 Roosevelt kindergarten teacher is honored BY STEPHANIE ANGELYN CASOLA STAFF WRITER For Amy Atwater-Truchan, the third time is the charm. A kindergarten teacher whose been with the district for 12 years, Truchan earned the nod as this year's Elementary Teacher of the Year. She's been nominated for the award twice in years passed. Truchan isn't only a teacher in the district. She also grew up in Livonia Public Schools. She attended Hull, Frost, Churchill, the Livonia Career Technical Center and Schoolcraft College. "I'm thankful to have always (worked) at Roosevelt with a wonderful and caring staff," Truchan said. "Even with these changing times, I'm still proud to be a Livonia 'product' and helping to build its future." Her experience in the community places her in the unique position of understanding what it's like to be both a resident of and a student from Livonia Public Schools. Truchan heard the news of her award during a schoolwide assembly. "Sure enough, the principals surprised me with a whole school assembly and revealed a giant banner that was soon hung in front of the school," she said. Truchan was surrounded by friends, family and co-workers. Through it all, she said, she's not one to draw attention to herself. As she wrote in her nomination form: "A child's moment of discovery in learning or a parent's beaming smile at their child is all I desire. The most cherished times are on the last day of school when I read the very touching letters from parents and the children's wishes that they still had school the next day. I feel that my responsibilities are really no different than any other hard working teacher in our district." She attributes her success in education to the "fabulous" paraprofessionals she's worked with -- namely Linda Latham, June Watson and Liz Allison -- and the administrators and parents who have supported her through the years. The school has become family, she said. "Children may not remember every single thing I taught them years from now, but they will remember how they felt while learning," said Truchan. "Or better yet, that all they did was play in kindergarten because they didn't realize they were learning. This is what motivates me to go that extra mile, spend that extra dollar, or do that extra something just because the kids would love it." Livonia Public Schools will honor three educators next month, each has earned the district's Teacher of the Year award. The recipients are Amy Atwater-Truchan of Roosevelt Elementary, Isolina Carlini of Holmes Middle School, and Mary Clark of Stevenson High School. Originally published November 2, 2006 |
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| NFarquharson | Nov 2 2006, 07:58 AM Post #6 |
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http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...565/1199/NEWS10 LETTERS Preventative education is one key to fighting teen drug use. Years ago I was educated about drugs through the DARE program in Livonia Public Schools. One time. In fact, it was so long ago I do not even recall what grade it was in or what I was taught. Although it is possible for grade-schoolers to use drugs, is it really a reasonable age to educate them on life altering decisions that they most likely will not encounter until high school or later? Furthermore, it is realistic to expect these children to remember and apply this education later in life? The federal government's stance on drug use is zero-tolerance. However, young people don't like limits, and they don't like being told what to do with their lives. Therefore, it may be more beneficial to give detailed information about how drugs can affect one's body and future. Studies have shown that prevention programs focused on both increasing protective factors (i.e. improving self esteem and parental support) and reducing risk factors are best at decreasing drug use. Even though Livonia has preventative education strategies, are they even up to date with current drug trends? In 2006, despite a reported national decline in illicit drug use by eighth, 10th and 12th graders, the use of cocaine and heroine has remained stable and prescription drug is rising. Cocaine and heroin in Livonia? Indeed these drugs have already touched the lives of many in our community. What can Livonia do to improve their prevention efforts? First, prevention programs proven to be effective should be employed in public schools. Although it may be unrealistic to fund, this education should span the length of the child's education. Second, a realistic assessment of current drug trends should be used to focus programs. Thirdly, prevention programs should include promoting resilience in the child and reducing factors that could increase drug use. Finally, parent and community support through education and participation is essential. A valiant and noteworthy effort has been put forth by a small section of our community to assemble a drug task force. But in order for drug use in Livonia teens to change, I think a revolution in the mindset of our community needs to occur. To do so, Livonia must empower its teens through the dissemination of factual information, community support, and an open system of communication. Holly Borchardt Livonia Originally published November 2, 2006 |
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| fyi | Nov 2 2006, 08:18 AM Post #7 |
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So it wasn't about $$$$?
I guess that will cover the loss in enrollment this year.....what about next year? |
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| 2 kids | Nov 2 2006, 08:20 AM Post #8 |
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Wow, talk about the wrong man for the job. Dr. Liepa claims he doesn't know the deadline . . . In my world, Nov. 1 is a lot different that Nov. 3 or 5. It's a deadline! This is devastating. I was thinking 200-250 students. It looks like it will be over 400. It's their original projection, plus everyone leaving because of LI, if you add up the CFLF numbers from their survey. On a positive note, this article was a lot more pointed and there was not much walking on egg shells. Maybe the new writer will do a more accurate job and question things that were not questioned before. |
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| ILIkeLI | Nov 2 2006, 08:35 AM Post #9 |
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Good reporting, R. Jones! |
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| livoniamom | Nov 2 2006, 08:45 AM Post #10 |
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Programs, schmograms.... I guarantee you that all those families that had to live with their schools closing and the upheaval of attending schools farther away would gladly give up a few "programs" to have their neighborhood school back -- who are they trying to kid? I seriously can't imagine if they had done K-5, 6-8, 9-12 that that many people would have left (although I personally prefer it). That configuration is actually the norm around here. They act as if they had no other choice. That is a good point that Liepa made -- they know who chose an option other than LPS by requests for transcripts (assuming that always occurs). |
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| Pete | Nov 2 2006, 08:51 AM Post #11 |
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I'm not impressed with your admission, Liepa. What are you people thinking.... there was a huge chance of this happening. Do you not hear the tremendous negative reaction and pleas not to go forward? How do you not see a chance???????????????????????????????? So losing 400+ kids is as bad as losing, say 100 kids, Scheel! No it would not be fair to say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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| CKlockner | Nov 2 2006, 08:54 AM Post #12 |
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I seem to remember Mr. Freeman saying something about closing high schools because of LPS s financial situation? So here we are on the see saw. It was then it wasnt a finanacial decision to close 7 schools. What is to be believed? |
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| ILIkeLI | Nov 2 2006, 09:03 AM Post #13 |
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It appears that Jay Young has not had the opportunity to make nicey nicey with Rebecca Jones as he had done with his backrubs and schmoozing he did with Stephanie Casola. |
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| mikefromholland | Nov 2 2006, 09:07 AM Post #14 |
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So many parallels to the Holland situation 3 years ago that I don't have time to go into all of them now. So I've highlighted what I feel is the biggest CONTRAST to the Holland situation with the quote above. Less than two months after implementation, your superintendent is publicly acknowledging that the reorganization contributed to enrollment loss. I never saw such a public statement by the Holland superintendent in the year following implementation prior to her resignation. It wasn't till June of the following year that any district people (it happened to be 2 board members) admitted publicly that the focus schools were contributing to the enrollment losses. In order to solve a problem, it must be recognized. The fact that this is occurring in your community is a positive sign. The question now is whether the disparate groups will work together for a solution or point fingers at one another. |
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| f11 | Nov 2 2006, 09:09 AM Post #15 |
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LPS, transportation for all
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"Liepa said he didn't know when the figures were due. "I don't know what the deadline is," Liepa said. "It is usually around Nov. 1. That could mean Nov. 3 or it could mean Nov. 5." This guy is a moron and needs to be fired, he has only hurt this district. |
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