What’s new with local schools

By JANE NORDBERG, DMG Writer
What’s new with local schools



By JANE NORDBERG, DMG Writer

HANCOCK — Ask any educator what his or her district’s biggest challenge is and you’re likely to get the same response.

“Clearly the biggest challenge for everyone is financing,” said Copper Country Intermediate School District Superintendent Dennis Harbour. “Schools are really struggling and it’s frustrating to see that.”

In the mid-1990s, with the restructuring of Proposal A, districts realized a financial boost. However, it wasn’t long before the economic situation had changed. Many schools have faced years with no increase in funding and nothing left to cut, Harbour said.

“Districts have still not recovered,” he said.

Declining enrollments, experienced nationwide, are also a problem.

“You’re not only not getting an increase but districts are losing students on top of it,” Harbour said.

New graduation requirements, which took effect starting with the incoming eighth-grade class in 2006-07, continue to have an impact on curriculum scheduling and teacher hires, particularly in the areas of mathematics, science and foreign language instruction.

Administrators also continue to struggle with compliance to the federal No Child Left Behind Act, many of whom complained to legislators during a recent Copper Country Association of School Boards breakfast last winter.

“A lot of it is unfunded and is difficult for schools to comply,” said L’Anse Public Schools Superintendent Ray Pasquali, while Hancock Public Schools Superintendent John Vaara added that he’s seen a 65 percent decrease in Title 1 funding, where most of the NCLB funding is gleaned.

“Because of the way it’s funded, kids are getting hurt,” Vaara said.

The recent change in school board elections is also an issue of concern for many districts. The elections are now held in November and overseen by municipalities instead of the former May elections which were organized by school districts. Districts cite increased costs as well as a preference to keep school elections separate from political issues.

But for all of the challenges facing local K-12 schools, there is also some good news. Recently, three local schools took top honors at the regional MATHCOUNTS competition held Feb. 12 at Kingsford Middle School. Students from Houghton Middle School, Hancock Middle School and Jeffers High School advanced to the state competition.

Hundreds of students participated last week in the TiViTZ math and science tournament at Michigan Technological University’s Student Development Complex, presided over by NASA Scientist Dr. Kathryn Clark, and history is alive and well during a growing competition that is drawing local students to the National History Day competition held annually in Washington D.C.

“We hear a lot about how bad things are, and they are,” said Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Schools Superintendent Jan Quarless. “But there’s an awful lot of positive things going on as well that we should be very proud of.”

Perhaps nowhere is the good news more highlighted than at the annual Copper Country Association of School Boards Award Dinner, held annually in late April, where students, staff, teachers, community members and board members are recognized for their efforts. At the 2007 event, CCASB past president and Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Schools Board of Education President Bob Hiltunen said local districts should feel very proud of their accomplishments.

“A lot of times, we focus on declining fund balances, increasing state regulations and all of the challenges we face and tough times we are up against,” Hiltunen said. “On a night like this, we really can put the focus back where it belongs — on the kids.”



Jane Nordberg can be reached at jnordberg@mininggazette.com