By Meg Peters
Review Co-Editor
Decreasing enrollment trends and impending future development have the Lake Orion school district questioning what the future might hold .
Because some change is in order, the district is looking to the community for their input, specifically 25 members, in a long-range planning study.
In October there were 7,581 students enrolled in the Lake Orion school district. In February, officials counted 7,531. While 20 of those students graduated early, 30 of them left the district for other reasons, costing the district an estimated $40,000 in per pupil funding if the gap isn’t filled.
Superintendent Marion Ginopolis said over the past several years student enrollment has been decreasing, losing between 50 and 100 students annually.
The district’s newer tactic in filling the gap is utilizing Schools of Choice (SOC). The district budgeted for 106 SOC students for next year, after securing 224 students from outside districts for the current year.
Even with SOC, there is still a cost attached to decreasing enrollment. The finance department is working to balance a near $800,000 deficit walking into 2015-2016, $480,000 of it is tied to the trend.
Coupled with a reduced budget from the State, Ginopolis said the board will be making some big decisions. But it will not be without community involvement.?
‘With the way things are changing in the community, with new developments, enrollment decreases, reduced funding, changes in some of our curriculum programs and so forth, it is time for us to look at what are district is going to look at three to five years out. The best way to do that is to bring people together from the community,? she said.
Using recommendations from the school’s board of education, PTO officers and other suggestions from the board of education, the district is pulling together a list of 25 stakeholders to help shape a new system design. To do this, the board is launching a Long Range Planning Study to figure out a new direction for the community.
The committee will be given two tasks:
1.’To determine the most efficient use and allocation of resources given forecasted demographics, enrollment trends, capacity of existing schools and other relevant variables; and
2.’Propose to the Board of Education a range of possible alternatives/modifications to the current educational system taking into consideration any relevant implications to budget, facilitation of academic programs, impact on children and families, and legislative requirements and mandates.
According to Ginopolis, this could mean redistricting school boundaries. With current boundaries, and between 500 to 700 houses predicted to be built over the next couple years, according to the Orion Township building department, a whole lot of kids would go to one neighborhood school.
Thus a little shuffling must be in order.
Committee members may also decipher that with current enrollment trends, not all the schools are necessarily needed for teaching at this time. That said, maybe there are some other revenue options committee members could explore within said buildings, space permitting.
Another avenue members will explore is what to do with all this changing legislation concerning district budgets. Governor Rick Snyder and the state legislature have not approved the state budget for education yet, but according to current legislation, the deficit Lake Orion is facing could be bumped up to close to $1 million.
The district is exploring options to eliminate the $800,000 deficit, but is not yet ready to release information.
The task force will provide the board with recommendations according to enrollment trends, funding reductions and Ginoplis? main goal: preserving and enhancing educational programs.
‘The problem is we’re not seeing the growth we are hoping to see,? she said. ‘All districts always lose population, but expect to gain it back, but declining enrollment has hit almost every district of the state.?
Committee members will serve as an advisory group to help determine what the stakeholders view as the direction Ginopolis and the board should take. The board of Education will have ultimate say, and by’April 20’committee membership will be confirmed. ?
Who’s on the list
The committee will consists of the following: two members from the school board, where one will most likely by Scott Taylor as he is currently the Facilities Liaison between Administration and the board; a minimum of three school administrators from an elementary school, middle school and the high school selected by the Central Office Cabinet; five professional and support staff from each Lake Orion bargaining unit, five parents recommended by PTO officers; three local community officers, recommended by the board of education; three business community members, two township/village officials; and two senior citizens.
Ginopolis said the board and cabinet will specifically seek out community members who have expressed opposition to the school’s current financial situation, including township officials and senior citizens who have traditionally not been supportive.
‘I think it’s really important to have representation from all these groups. A lot of times, until you’re actually in the throes of looking at all of this, you don’t know what the issues are,? Ginopolis said, encouraging people to take a stand.
Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Executive Assistant Julie Olko at?248-693-5400.
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