Clarkston schools released results of its Parent/Community Budget Consideration Survey on its website, www.clarkston.k12. mi.us. About 1,675 people responded.
Administrators took responses to the online survey amd averaged them together . Respondents were asked to rank proposed cuts by how much negative impact it would have on student learning, community and student safety.
Results include:
? Return to a secondary six-period school day, eliminating trimesters for grades 8-12?
No, very low, or low impact, 54%
High or very high impact, 25%
? Close one elementary school, site to be determined, and redistrict students to remaining schools?
No, very low, or low impact, 28%
High or very high impact, 52%
? Redistrict all seven elementary schools to create ‘sister schools,? which would pair student populations to create an elementary grade level structure of separate K-2 and 3-5 buildings?
No, very low, or low impact, 25%
High or very high impact, 54%
? Outsourcing/privatization transportation?
No, very low, or low impact, 40%
High or very high impact, 44%
? Outsource/privatize custodial services?
No, very low, or low impact, 52%
High or very high impact, 30%
? Cut elementary ‘special? programs, such as art, music, P.E. or media/information literacy?
No, very low, or low impact, 11%
High or very high impact, 74%
? K-12 class size increase by 3-5 students per classroom?
No, very low, or low impact, 12%
High or very high impact, 65%.
The survey also included sections for comment. The question asking to ‘list three areas that should be reduced, restructured or eliminated? had 1,229 responses. The first 10 were:
1. Funding for sports programs waste … do you have anyone who knows how to re-design processes (e.g. six sigma or lean experts) who could help redesign or restructure wasteful processes? If not, you should;
2. Equity with advanced programming, class sizes, concessions for all employee groups;
3. Increase all employee medical premium contributions, eliminate IB program, return to half day kindergarten, restructure custodial services, return to semester schedule;
4. Pay to play for sports,music and special activities;
5. IB program, full day kindergarten ? why did it start when money was short to begin with??? Young fives program, sports and sports bus budgets;
6. reduce administration costs to a minimum, increase pay to participate costs for sports, anything that is not directly related to transporting and educating K-12 students;
7. Administration/teacher salaries – contract reopen. Sports – coaches should be volunteers and be teachers of that school sport, parents/students should volunteer more; i.e., concessions, and if a child wants to play, they should have to pay. Reduce the number of kids that play a sport – why have kids on a team if they don’t get to play? This doesn’t do the kids self esteem any good. We shouldn’t be pruchasing or implementing new programs when the funds are not there to spend or we have to take from other areas that cause people to lose jobs. This only makes us move backwards. Our goal should be to move forward;
8. Transportation;
9. Public relations administrator, info lit classes and media specialists; and
10. Administration ? public relation rep., clerical staff, etc. Info Lit. ? Media Specialists, IB classes ? consolidate to better use teachers.
For complete list, go to www.zoomerang.com/Shared/SharedResultsSurveyResultsPage.aspx’ID=L247YR7EUJZ6