Midland School Board considers declining enrollment

By John Kennett
Journalism 312

Declining enrollment continues to be a major concern for the Midland Public School Board of Education.

Monday, Linda Cline, MPS director of finance, shared projected enrollment with the MPS School Board for the 2008-09 school year.

After consulting with Stanfred Consultants out of Lansing, Cline stated that MPS would base its 2008-09 budget on an anticipated enrollment of 9011 students. This represents a drop in enrollment of 144 students from the 2007-08 school year.

Each student represents $8,848 in state aid, meaning that MPS will have approximately $1.37 million less for the 2008-09 school year.

“There is not a lot of good news,” said Cline. “Our kindergartens are getting smaller.”

Stating statistics from the Michigan Department of Community Health regarding the number of live births since 1994, Cline mentioned that Midland County has a greater percentage decrease overall than the state of Michigan.

The time period of 1994-present has seen Michigan’s live births decline by 7.5 percent while the same rate in Midland County has decreased by 19.6 percent.

Since 2001, live births in Midland County have declined 14.1 percent while statewide there has been a 7.5 percent decrease.

In other items, the school board received a report from the Advisory Board on Instruction in Sex Education and Birth Control regarding sex education curriculum for use in the eighth grade Topics for Teens classes and high school Health and Wellness classes.

The advisory board has reviewed and approved the DVD, ‘Sex Still has a Price Tag’ (public school edition).

The school board will vote on the DVD at its next meeting March 24. Anyone desiring to preview these materials may do so by contacting Jeff Pennex, MPS coordinator of physical education and health, at 923-7945.

Colleen Horrocks addressed the board regarding her desire to see the book publishing industry implement a labeling/rating system similar to the system used in motion pictures, video games, television and movies.

“I am asking for guidance from (the MPS school Board) regarding this issue,” said Horrocks. “I also want awareness to be raised about this issue.”

This issue started when Horrocks’ seventh grade daughter brought home the book “Winds of Fate”, by Mercedes Lackey, from the Jefferson Middle School library containing sexually explicit material.

The school board also unanimously passed a proposal to discontinue membership in the North Central Association. Presently, MPS is receiving accreditation from both NCA and Ed Yes! Michigan.

A concern was raised regarding whether MPS graduates would be able to get into the university of their choice without NCA accreditation.

Several universities were contacted and stated that as long as the district schools have the state of Michigan endorsement, students would be OK in completing the application process.

Also Monday, Kathleen Ellison, MPS director of curriculum, presented a recommendation from the Staff/Curriculum Development Committee of 29 proposed curriculum changes. The proposed changes would cost $176,489, which Ellison stated is within the budgeted amount for these changes.

The board unanimously approved all 29 recommendations.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the MPS School Board will be March 24 at 7 p.m.

Edited by Ben Evers and Sheri Krotzer