By Susan Bromley
Staff Writer
Brandon Twp.- A proposal to eliminate
busing for students in seventh through
12th grades is no longer being considered.
The cut was deemed too severe and
will not be part of the recommendations
the finance committee will make at the
school board meeting set for 6:30 p.m.,
April 12, at the Brandon High School Performing
Arts Center, 1025 S. Ortonville
Road.
‘We would have to learn that the state
was cutting more severely before we cut
(busing),? said Superintendent Lorrie
McMahon, explaining why the finance
committee removed busing elimination
from the proposed list of cuts for the 2010-
11 school year presented at the March 29
finance committee meeting. ‘You put everything
out there and evaluate what will
have the biggest impact. That particular
cut would impact families, as well as students.
If you can’t get a student to school,
it’s difficult to educate them. We considered
everything, and when we looked at
the finances, we realized that (cut) was
more severe than it needed to be.?
Eliminating the 7-12 busing would yield
an estimated savings of $500,000 and as
part of a list of other proposed cuts, would
have hit a targeted $3.5 million in reductions
for the district. Still, McMahon said
officials can manage with a $3.1 million
cut for 2010-11.
Also appearing to be spared from the
budget axe this year is the pool at Brandon
High School, which previously was
recommended to be closed for a savings
of nearly $100,000. Instead, McMahon
said officials will pursue marketing and
using the pool more efficiently, although
she doesn’t yet know how that will be
accomplished.
A recommendation to eliminate the band
program at the intermediate school has
also been suspended for now, after music
teachers approached the administration
with an offer to ‘reconfigure? the band
program. McMahon will hear their suggestions
during a meeting this week.
Proposed cuts to the athletic program
have also been modified. New recommendations
include elimination of the football,
soccer, and sideline cheer programs at the
middle school level, rather than complete
elimination of middle school sports.
McMahon explained that other sponsorships
for these sports include the Brandon
Junior Blackhawks and travel teams. An
increase in pay-to-participate fees across
the district is still being discussed. The next
athletic committee meeting will be held at
5 p.m., April 12 in the central district office,
1025 S. Ortonville Road.
The rest of the list of recommended
cuts, including privatization of busing and
custodial services, lay-offs of six teachers,
reduction in Kindergarten and special
education paraprofessionals, and
elimination of the school liaison officer,
will be taken to the school board Monday.
‘All the things that we aren’t doing this
year, we will have to look at next year,?
McMahon said. ‘We expect next year to
be pretty lousy’projections are that it
will be worse.?