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Issue 3, Volume 78 December 14, 2012 4525 Highway 109
thebugle monika nayak featurewriter
monika nayak
Board of Education and Superintendent’s imminent decisions affect Picture Rockwood’s immediate future
Around the corner Rockwood’s class of 2011 averaged a 24.1, outscoring the state composite of 21.6 out of 36 points on the A.C.T. Out of the 3,500 AP exams taken in 2011, nearly 85 percent of RSD students achieved a 3 or higher, earning college credit, according to the district’s 2011 Report to the Community. In addition, 74 percent of Rockwood students received a score within the proficient or advanced group in Communication Arts while the state percentage was 55 percent. In mathematics, 72 percent of RSD students were at least proficient, while the state average was 54 percent in 2011. “We are very proud of what Rockwood is and what EHS is, and there’s a fear that we may lose some of that depending on what decisions are made,” Mrs. Deborah Asher, head principal, said. EHS faculty work to provide the best education for students. “They’re doing what they can with what they have,” Audrey Tomlinson (10) said. “They do a good job in the Science Department because we have the resources we need to do lab practicals. I love my anatomy class because it’s more focused and I want to go into a medical career.” The quality of education in RSD schools exceeds state standards, but Superintendent Bruce Borchers’s budget projections propose this success is at risk. A committee led by residents called Picture Rockwood has organized the efforts to gather the community’s opinions about the district’s direction. Picture Rockwood held a series of sessions open to the public. The first session outlined the district’s current status in terms of curriculum, facilities and finances. The second session presented a series of eight pictures
describing options available and the financial measures each picture required. “The first session was well organized and informative,” Mr. Shaun Fanger, Math teacher, said. “It’s important to get the entire community involved in making decisions that will mold the future of Rockwood.” Session attendees critiqued and narrowed those eight pictures down to two over the course of two additional sessions. A full description of each picture from all sessions can be found at picturerockwood.com. After analyzing feedback from the stakeholders at each subsequent set of sessions, the facilitating team edited, renamed and shared the pictures with those in attendance at the next sessions. From the eight colors of the second session, the Picture Rockwood team developed the four shapes and then the two fruits: the orange and apple pictures. Compared to a $1.13 tax-rate increase in the orange picture, a 97¢ increase was included in the apple picture with the addition of a $39 million bond issue for capital projects. From locker rooms to turf fields to free full-day kindergarten, both pictures held dramatic implications for residents. Session attendees preferred the apple picture with 64 percent of the vote. Though no students attended the sessions, Alexander Morrissey (11) has researched the pictures and—while finding flaws with both—favors the apple picture. “The issue with both is either way will require a pass by voters and seeing as we even failed to pass Prop B, the last tax policy, that’s going to be hard to get the general public to stand behind,” Morrissey said. “If the student body is more aware of the financial status of Rockwood they
could influence their parents to become more active in the community and vote. It’s going to be the parents of Rockwood that vote, and if anyone needs to motivate these plans, it would be them.” Throughout December, the facilitating team has been requesting feedback from all stakeholders on both pictures. “We will be using websites, telephone surveys and email,” Mrs. Shemain Kenney, Picture Rockwood community chair for Marquette, said. “We will be utilizing all technology to share the final pictures with the public.” After another Picture Rockwood session, Jan. 7 at 9:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., the facilitating team will present the final one or two pictures to the Board of Education at a January board meeting. Until the Dec. 6 BOE meeting, stakeholders were made to believe that the district faced immediate significant financial difficulties. However, at that meeting, Mr. Tim Rooney, Rockwood School District’s chief financial officer, presented a much different picture. The district is projecting a $2 million budget surplus for the 2012-2013 school year, according to Mr. Rooney. At the end of a fiscal year, RSD BOE Policy 3117 states that the fund balance should hold between 18-22 percent of that year’s operating budget. Currently the district has $16.2 million over the 18 percent in the reserves. “When you are a school district that has over $16 million in fund reserves, and you’re talking about things like eliminating teachers, I can’t see the logic behind that,” Mr. Paul Stanley, Social Studies teacher, said. “When you put it in context of the last two years of budget cuts, we cut counselors and teachers because we thought that we would have a budget
Mrs. Suzanne Rainey, Summit Language Arts teacher, applauds a statement made by Mr. Steve Smith, BOE director, while Mr. Paul Stanley, Social Studies teacher, listens to the BOE meeting, Dec. 6. Almost 300 teachers lined the walls and packed the meeting to hear the budget presentation.
deficit this year. It turns out that we have a surplus. They took away people’s livelihood and resources for kids, and now they’re telling us that we have $16 million over the 18 percent; that’s shocking to me.” The recent budget updates undermine the urgent immediacy originally presented in the current reality at the first Picture Rockwood sessions. “People of the district are going to say the district hasn’t been honest about deficits,” Mr. Stanley said. “I’m not calling anyone a liar; I’m just saying that if people feel like they are being lied to they aren’t going to support anything. They’re going to say that’s not an emergency, and they’re pitching the tax levy to us as something we have to do as an emergency.” Picture Rockwood was introduced to create a focus on the future of Rockwood schools, and the facilitating team retains this mission. “As circumstances move around and the corresponding numbers fluctuate, the district is by no means in a financial position to move along ‘business as usual’ and expect to be healthy for an indefinite future,” Mr. Park Plank, Picture Rockwood community chair for Eureka, said in an email interview, Dec 10. Both pictures require increased revenue, either from a tax-rate increase or a tax increase combined with a bond issue, requiring voter approval. “Realistically it’s fair for the CFO to say to the public for the long term you can’t constantly be falling back on reserve money to pay for things,” Mr. Stanley said. “What I don’t think is fair is for them to portray the situation as so dire that we need to eliminate people, come to the public and say we have these huge balances, then ask for a tax increase and expect it to pass.“