Superintendent's Note
July 02, 2010
It is my pleasure to be the Superintendent at CPS. The challenge in all school districts across the State of Michigan is clear; we must continue to improve our educational opportunities in the face of financial challenges and declining enrollment.
At CPS we are proud of what we do and how we do it. This district has a strong sense of family with a dedicated faculty and staff. We boast of our terrific parental support and the traditional support of the entire community.
At the elementary level it is truly a family atmosphere. Our offerings include state of the art technology for student use, a Headstart Program, a Reading Recovery Program, a reading/math support teacher, a Read Naturally Program and an Accelerated Reader Program. Our all day Kindergarten Program features full-time certified teachers for the entire day. We also have a half-day Young Fives Program, which provides free day care for the balance of the day. We have very small class sizes, a K-6 counselor, and an elementary curriculum coordinator. The PTA is very active and an important part of our family atmosphere.
At the end of each year, we have an annual three day unique camp experience for all students in grades K-6. We also offer a Day Care Center from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. This Day Care Program is for ages 2 ½ to 12.
All of our buildings are clean and well maintained. We receive many compliments on how the buildings look by the many visitors we have. The Elementary building was completely renovated in 2001.
Our grounds are beautifully maintained and we frequently received accolades for that good work.
At the 7-12 building, we again have small class sizes and just like the elementary staff, all teachers meet the Federal and State requirements and are Highly Qualified. We have an online student management program, Zangle, with parental access. We have three complete computer labs. This is a Professional Learning Community dedicated to the success of all students.
There are distance learning opportunities and a strong counseling department that regularly meets with all students. Our student body is well behaved. There are activities, athletic and band boosters who take an active role in our overall success. The students have well rounded extra curricular activity opportunities.
Our K-12 educational program is simply outstanding and boosts the lowest pupil/teacher ratio (20-1) in Sanilac County.
In the area of school finance, we are a victim of the sluggish economy and the political activity in Lansing. Never the less, we are committed to progress educationally and we are getting the job done. In the face of all the bad news from Lansing, we feel confident that we can weather this storm.
It has taken extraordinary effort on the part of all the CPS family. We have all employment contracts complete through 2011-12. Our bus lease arrangement continues to save us $50,000 annually. I continue to work the Superintendent position part-time, saving the district some $70,000 per year.
In the past years our enrollment has remained steady, with some small decline each year. We have provided for the decline in our budget projections.
The financial projection from 2003 until now has gone from bleak to better. In 2004-05 we projected a negative -$182,416 and in 2005-06 a negative -$1,028,685. We now know the real numbers for each of those years were 2004-05 $696,495 and in 2005-06 $576,869. We finished the 2006-07 school year at $749,572, the 2007-08 school year at $970,080. The good news is we have met and maintained our goal of having a fund balance of at least 10% of the overall budget for the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 and we are projecting a 10% fund balance in 2010-2011.
The good news is we have met and maintained our goal of having a fund balance of at lease 10% of the overall budget. That figure would be 15.47% for 2006-07 19.82% for 2007-08 and a projected fund balance for 2008-09 of 20.27%.
So before your eyes glaze over because of the numbers, let me leave you with this thought. We are successfully managing the budget while continuing to improve the educational programming.
We are proud of the fact we have the lowest teacher/pupil ratio in Sanilac County at 20 to 1 and that we are recognized for not cutting programs or services to the students of Carsonville - Port Sanilac School District.
We will survive and as the economy strengthens, we will prosper. Until then you can be assured we will continue to act in a fiscally responsible manner. DO NOT look to any articles written about the school district to include the word cut. We are not cutting anything and we intend to maintain that position.
Our newest program is the Carsonville - Port Sanilac Virtual Academy. With an individualized approach to learning the tuition-free Carsonville - Port Sanilac Virtual Academy and K12 deliver the 21st-century education kids need to succeed-in school and beyond.
We are igniting the minds of Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, St. Clair and Lapeer county students in grades 9-12 to bring learning alive and help every student reach his or her personal potential.
The Carsonville - Port Sanilac Virtual School offers:
- A flexible approach to learning, customized for each child,
- Dynamic online lessons that are integrated across subjects,
- A rich mix of books and hands-on materials,
- Passionate, certified, highly qualified teachers, and it is
- A tuition-free option for those who qualify - now enrolling for the fall of 2010!
As you hear the term “Consolidation of Services” for school districts, understand that at the present time I see no economic advantage to any consolidation of services with the ISD or any other district. There may be cooperative ventures that will be considered, but unless they strengthen our present position, we are not interested.
Finally, take pride in a program we offer to the students from this area. Our Academy of Alternative Learners graduated 44 students in June of 2010. We are proud of what we do in this program because it offers one last opportunity for students to succeed.
We have a very positive story to tell and are very proud to tell it. CPS is a great place to have your students educated. If I were raising my six children again, I would want them in this school district. Be proud of what we have because it is as good as it gets.
