 |
 |
 |
 |
1/27/12
|
42 comments
WB-RC may make cuts mid-year
WEST BRANCH — West Branch-Rose City Area Schools may eliminate four bus runs, reduce paraprofessional hours and eliminate game night managers before the end of the school year.
Superintendent Dan Cwayna said high school students who ride the bus home to areas that are the greatest distance away from the school, such as Damon, may be asked to catch a ride later with middle school and elementary students.
“Because we’re so large, and kids are on the bus so long, we have four long bus runs from the high school,” he said.
Next year, the transportation system could be changed to single bus runs rather than multiple ones like the district has now, Cwayna said. He said currently, high school students are picked up earlier in the morning, taken to the high school, and then the buses make another run to pick up middle school and elementary students.
“That’s one of the things we’re looking at for next year,” he said. “We are looking at terms of what that could save us for miles on the road and time on the road.”
Cwayna said single bus runs would save the district almost $150,000.
However, Board President Dick Bachelder said single bus runs could actually cost the district money up front, and that it is just one of several proposals put forth to save money.
“That’s just a proposal,” he said. “I don’t think we’re really looking into that, because we’d have to buy new buses.”
Bachelder added four to eight buses may have to be purchased to transport all students in a single run.
“It’d be very expensive,” he said.
The other two changes that may be made this school year, eliminating a game night manager position and cutting parapro hours, would bring minimal savings, Cwayna said.
Cutting a game night manager would save about $1,500, according to Cwayna.
“The game night manager is a person that’s hired to meet and greet the officials — the referees — make sure the money box is available for the workers at the ticket booth,” he said. “They greet the opposing team.”
If the budget for the position, which is $3,000, is reduced, athletic director Andrew Pratley would serve as game night manager at Ogemaw Heights, but another manager would be needed at Rose City, Cwayna said.
“With us having freshman games in Rose City, we would have to have someone there, because Mr. Pratley can’t be in two places at the same time,” he said.
He added freshman basketball games are played the same nights and times are junior varsity basketball games, which are played at Ogemaw Heights High School.
Reducing parapro hours for the rest of the year would save around $1,375, Cwayna said.
The change would affect parapros who do not assist students who need help getting on and off the bus. Those parapros would work from bell to bell.
Although the changes for parapros and game night managers would not save WB-RC a lot of money, Cwayna said the district is looking to find any possible savings it can.
“There’s not much savings there,” he said. “But we’re trying to find anything that can help us.”
Cwayna said the WB-RC Board of Education wants to rebuild the district’s fund equity by cutting approximately $1.5 million.
“They’re asking that in the next two, two and a half years that we build that fund equity back to 15 percent of our budget,” he said.
According to Cwayna, the district’s fund equity is at approximately $1.6 million now, and has to be at $3 million to meet the 15 percent goal.
Not registered? Click here
|
Share this
|
Why does athletics always have to suffer every time that cuts are needed? Have they not been cut enough? Or is this as easy target because parents are always there to pick up the slack in fundraising for their student athletes? Athletics is not the most important part of our district, but it is important. Parents and kids choose this district as a Schools of Choice decision, because of our well established programs. No other extracurricular activities in the district have ever been asked to cut back one cent. Students pay $150.00 a year to participate in athletics. Enough already. Give these student athletes and parents a break.
Athletics are cut first because you go to school to get an EDUCATION FIRST I thought? Yes the volunteering & fundraising etc. for athletics helps, but I would assume that the amount of funds provided thru the taxpayers is substantially more than that.
You would be wrong in assuming that. The budget is very small comparitively and if you don't have a child in sports, it's easy to feel your way. If you don't value athletics, I cannot change your mind and I am not even trying to. Education is first, absolutely, but extracurricular opportunities for kids are important too. I have read your previous posts and you get pretty intense. so maybe we could just agree to disagree.
one word says it all, EXTRAcurricular.
I value all things in life there cathyzim! I never have once seen a facility for young kids to learn called for instance Surline Elementary Sports and not a school. Take a step back and look at the quality of education the kids EVERYWHERE receive these days. Pass with better grades than "just squeaking by" and then you can play. Most can't name the states that border theirs etc. or how many there are! I am all for sports and even with a small budget as it is being said here for these non-educational programs, they are most always cut first. The few that do use sports as a steeping stone to get ahead in life are to few and far between. I still don't believe that the volunteering & private fundraising for school sports amounts to more than what the taxpayers provide. School sport athletic field facilities, maintenance & taxes, lights, coaches, buses, uniforms & insurance to name a few. Mary hit it right on the bulls eye, extracurricular!
Cutting the night manager position would allow for a savings of $1,500 which is 1/10 of a percent of what needs to be saved. How long do we have to meet this goal? As for the bussing. It certainly would cost more upfront but the long term savings is definitely worth it since it has probably cost the district around 3 million for the dual bussing for over 30 years.
Regarding the comments, I agree that athletics are constantly hit but it might ease the parents ability to volunteer if each individual sport did not have to raise their own funds but rather had one booster club (or two at miniumum because we all know Football raises their own funds). If that is not a possibility create a Varsity club where some of the senior Varsity club students could take on that management position. Leadership and responsibility are some of the what we hope that they get out of their sports and other extracurricular activities and this idea would allow them to utilize those skills.
Wouldn't it be great if folks were as passionate about education as they seem to be about sports?
Nobody pays anyone to think.
Exactly. Thank you for backing up one's "opinion" with facts.
Participation in a school sports program IS an education in itself. Most do not go on to a college or professional team, but I know from my own experience that kids involved in sports are more likely to keep their grades up, stay in school and OUT of trouble. Idle hands can find all kinds of mischief. Parents seem to be more involved in their kids' entire school experience, too. If, as one person says, "they don't know the names of the states that border theirs", it's nice to know they have coaches who are teaching them something, hmmmmm?
As people are quick to point out athletics are EXTRAcurricular, but what is frustrating is that there are clubs that are also EXTRAcurricular. Some of those clubs have more advisors then some sports, that get paid the same, and those students do not have to pay to participate becuase this board reversed the club fee. The club fee brought in 3,000 + dollars for the district, and now we are cutting a valuable position to save 1,500.
Not one person is trying to say that education should not come first or that athletics is more important. I just think there are other things we can look at including some of which involve athletics.
Okay, when the budget is tight and times are hard. I have the solution. Keep all sports, clubs and another programs or any other non-educational course so to speak. The mathematics, social studies, arts, language, literature, history, geography courses to name a few, sorry you gotta go. That would make 99% of the people posting here happy, I think.
??????
????? is what I meant!!!!
HEARTS is what was supposed to be sown!!!!
@ amiller- WOW I don't know about you. If my memory serves me right were you not one of the coaches involved in the decision to cancel the middle school athletic season last year? Now your pleading to keep it? Or is it your pleading to keep money in your pocket as a night manager?? Why don't you donate all the money back that you have earned for sitting at a table for four hours taking money, or standing around talking to your friends back to education instead of whining and crying about mandatory cuts? You and your friends (Pratley's) need to wake up and look outside of the box and realize our kids need an education not new uniforms. Why don't the three of you go and work at another big north school that can take care of your WANTS while WBRC tries to get our NEEDS. EDUCATION COMES FIRST!
The only thing that is correct about your post S.D. is that Educatoin comes first. It does and no one disputes that. Your post was mean and uncalled for.
@ momof6. If my memory is correct and it is because I just went back and read the article about the middle school volleyball team, that the season was cut short because of student’s inappropriate behavior, not because of money issues. What better way to EDUCATE our students about life than to punish them when they do wrong. As far as amiller, I have been doing some research also, I have found that he gets PAID $100 for the middle school volleyball, and $20 for the games he works, REALLY he must be in it for the money. To drive back and forth from Surline to Rose City and work 4 to 6 hours and get $20 dollars. He is one of this schools best volunteers, he is always there when sports, clubs or anyone needs him. I have seen him volunteering at many school functions. Momof6 maybe you should volunteer to be a coach or at some sporting events and see what a thankless job it is.
Not one mention about how athletics IS part of education. Education involving healthy lifestyle. How many have benefited from learning HOW to work out, warm up, stretch ect, and maintain at least SOME of those activities into their adult life. I would bet most people would not do some of their healthy routines with fitness if they had not learned during some sort of sport. Look to any news, and excercise is almost always mentioned in some fashion. This needs to be learned at some point. School athletics is a great start!
Mr. Griffin, if the school athletic programs etc. are so important and a useful tool to learn a healthy activities and a lifestyle, then tell me what percentage of children are considered obese? When you get that total, start on the adult population. I must have missed that part of the OHHS curriculum.
Education in the classroom needs to come first, then education in the gym, then athletics maybe. @ my2cents I seem to hit a nerve, was I not suppose to point out that amiller is a good friend of the pratleys or that he profits from athletics?
I guess it really does not matter who his friends are, what matters that he gives a lot time to all of our schools. I have not seen anyone on here that does not agree that education in the classroom should be first. But, I think what some of you do not realize is that it is sometimes sports that gets and keeps the students in the classroom.
Dmanwarning, when you get the percentage of children that are considered obese, I would bet it would be about the same percentage of students that do not play sports. I know from my son being in sports that nutrition is one of the many things that his coaches have taught him.
The Pratley's are very nice people and I am very happy to be a friend of theirs. They, as teachers and parents, would always stress education first. You didn't hit a nerve. It's always hard to understand why people have to be so mean. Friends seem to try and find like people to be friends with. There is very little "profit" for anyone in athletics and most of us do a lot for no pay. Do you? Probably not, but with your attitude, I doubt that anyone would want your help if you feel the way you have expressed in this forum. So you are free to your anonymous opinion and when, or if, your children are involved in athletics you may understand the value of learning the skills of teamwork, discipline, good bahavior and academic accountability.
I respect you cathy and all the hard work you put into the school board, and I am sure the pratley's are nice people and but I think the district could move forward better if the three of them stepped back or moved.after decisions he has made last year with volleyball and now hearing him just seems two faced. I was not talking about your friendship with them I was refering to his and the way stuff is done and ran.
I respect you cathy and all the hard work you put into the school board, and I am sure the pratley's are nice people and but I think the district could move forward better if the three of them stepped back or moved.after decisions he has made last year with volleyball and now hearing him just seems two faced. I was not talking about your friendship with them I was refering to his and the way stuff is done and ran.
As far as dmanwaring1stirring the pot. Do you even live in the area or pay taxes here? The last post I saw of yours said you visited the area after 15 years. If you don't how about you leave the discussion on how our schools are run to the people that actually live in the community.
there is grade inflation these days, unlike the 70's and 80's used to be quite hard to get a "straight A."
Freedom of Speech there McDowell. I guess my opinions do matter, at least to you. Are you also in charge of the state, county, city & the schools?
That volleyball decision was not made by the Athletic Director. It was a club and the coaches were no longer willing to coach after the behavior that was exhibited by some of the team. They were not even a part of the WBRC Athletic Department. Andrew did nothing to you or your daughter. If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at the girls that misbehaved...but hopefully learned a valuable lesson in how to treat others. Who are you to tell people they should move? That is a terrible thing to say. You are mad about one incident that was a mistake made by kids. They have probably moved on and you should too. Adam and Trisha were treated terrible. They gave so much time for these girls and for weeks of practice, games and tournaments for $100.00. They would be the first ones to say they wish that had not happened and they could have completed the season. They did not work that long to end the season the way they did.
Catyzim..... I was not refering to Andrew Pratley, I was refering to Adam Miller. I am sorry for the confusion I know Andrew is a good friend of yours and I know he had nothing to do with the Volleyball season last year.
You said the three of them should move. And by the way, Adam is a friend of mine too. We need this department in our school and this negativity doesn't help anyone. Just look at the students who love and depend on sports. If you don't care about these adults, please care about the kids.
McDowell, your comment was removed because it contained copyrighted material, which is against our terms of service. I have removed it again. Feel free to post the link, but do not cut and paste information from the website.
Secondly, to everyone else, please keep the comments civil.
Thank you,
Eric Young
Managing Editor
Editor@ogemawherald.com
It's just sad when we are losing students, closing parts of buildings, cutting support staff, cutting bus routes and there are people worried about athletics and after school activivtes? That is sad! amiller I understand that you get your paycheck from athletics and your friend works in that department, but maybe if you put a little effort towards education like you do athletics more people may listen. Lets all work together for the children of WBRC not for our teams of the BIG NORTH
These comments from people who are so out of the loop are seriously becoming comical.
1) $20 for an entire night of work is hardly "getting your paycheck." I'd like to see trustworthy people getting a line up at the next game to "volunteer" to put in all the hours these after school workers put in--only to get trashed online by faceless cowards.
2) Athletics ARE a part of education. Just like all the other non-core (math, science, reading, writing, social studies) subject things that go on at schools. If you won't admit that, then you're just stuck in your ways and no intelligent voice is going to change that.
3) Give up your complaining about the big bad Big North. Tawas and Pinconning broke up the league, not OH. Ask your coaches which teams are in their district and regional pairings. Guess what......it's not Grayling, Oscoda, W-P, Roscommon, Houghton Lake. It's Gaylord, Cadillac, Petoskey, and sometimes SSC. Beating a bunch of crappy teams isn't going to get you anything, except a useless ego when it comes time to really counting. So get better and quit complaining and lamenting about glory days.
4) Stop attacking people and things you don't even know about. It's getting tiresome.
Just an fyi he gets paid 35 a game as a night manager......... that's a fact
I aplaude the parent workers who work hard to pay off their childrens fees but when someone is two faced and who says he cares for our schools but just wants a profit or to help friends im not in favor or aplauding that
Its sad our kids have to pay as much as they do I remeber when it was 50 not 150!
Well I'm glad there's one fact. Kudos to you.
Take out tax--yes, it's taxed--and the point is you're not left with much. So for someone (whomever it was) to come on here and say anyone involved in educational athletics "profits" from athletics is laughable. And the fact that this conversation is even occurring is even more laughable. In fact, I'm so embarrassed to even be a part of it, I only have one final thought.
Again with the comedy......keep finding something or someone to complain about.
I see a lot of backtracking going on here. I'm sure it will continue.....
Carry on.......
Juliab:
It is sad. Call the governor and the state legislators and tell them so.
momof6:
Did you seriously just write that? You have absolutely no right to question someone's character or motives because they choose to work extra duties at a school. That is a dispicable thing to say.
busymom, Most would rather have a realistic chance of winning 20 games compared to getting pounded. When DOES it Really count?
wow......I thought I was on Oprah's page for a minute! LOL
so where are we now?