Tecumseh Schools receive one-time payment of $666,000 from state supplemental bill

By CRISTINA TRAPANI-SCOTT

Chief Financial Officer Bill Wright told board members at Monday night’s regular meeting that Tecumseh Public Schools (TPS) will get a one-time payment of $666,000 following Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s Dec. 3 signing of Michigan House Bill 5887.

The bill is a school aid supplemental bill that includes final appropriations for fiscal year 2009-10 and adjustments for the 2010-11 fiscal year. While that is certainly good news, what’s looming is the end of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, which must be spent by September 2011. For TPS, that means the lost of $1.472 million.
“It’s a serious issue,” said Wright, adding that the district would not want to use the $666,000 for ongoing expenditures. He also said the district will have to see what Governor-elect Rick Snyder has in store for state aid funding.

In other discussions, the board:
• reviewed a PowerPoint presentation put together by Wright and Board Secretary Jim Rice focusing on the non-homestead millage, which is up for renewal in the Feb. 22, 2011, election. The presentation includes six slides that show a brief history of the millage and what it means for Tecumseh if the millage were to fail.
The non-homestand millage levies 18 mills on commercial and second properties. That brings in $2.4 million in operating funds, making up 10.3 percent of the district’s budget. Wright emphasized that it is not a new tax. The district’s 18 mills expired in July of this year.
• was introduced to the district’s new Aramark Food Service Director, Zach Cohen. Previous director, Joann Cole, has taken a promotion and will be working in the Dundee school district.
• held the first reading of policies that included a video camera, school improvement plan, authorization for employee criminal record check and medication policies.  According to Board Vice President Karen Janusek, the district had an existing video camera policy, but it had never been approved by the board. The school improvement plan has to be adopted by Sept. 1 of each year. Finally, the medication policy will change to reflect staff training in the administration of medications to students.

Supt. Mike McAran said the change in the policy has come as a result of an increasing number of children coming into the district with juvenile diabetes. He wants the district staff to be as prepared as possible for the students coming in.

The policies will be read a second time and voted upon at the Dec. 20 meeting.
• approved a resolution to collect summer taxes. Per Public Act 451 of 1976, the district must approve a resolution each year.

• approved a policy for providing transportation for extra-curricular activities. According to the policy, the district agrees to provide the transportation for extra-curricular activities, but can give the superintendent authority, with recommendation from an administrator in charge, to approve the use of private vehicles should bus transportation be too cost prohibitive.