DOLLAR BAY - The members of the Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Area Board of Education Monday approved ending the district's position as fiscal agent for BRIDGE Alternative High School during their regular meeting Monday.
In April 2010, the DB-TC Board of Education voted to become the fiscal agent for BRIDGE after officials at the Copper Country Intermediate School District decided it wasn't financially able to run it on its own. As part of the agreement for DB-TC to take over BRIDGE, a consortium of districts, including Adams Township, Chassell Township, DB-TC, Hancock, Houghton-Portage Township, Lake Linden-Hubbell and the CCISD, formed to operate BRIDGE with DB-TC acting as the fiscal agent of the school.
However, Dr. Jan Quarless, DB-TC superintendent, said at the school board's May meeting, since 2011, some of the districts have decided not to fully support the consortium agreement of 2010, which has led to problems fiscally. Some districts have not passed on to DB-TC their at-risk and special education funding for their students attending BRIDGE.
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The Board of Education of the Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Area Schools voted Monday during its regular meeting to end its responsibility as the fiscal agent for BRIDGE Alternative High School. Fiscal responsibility will now revert to the Copper Country Intermediate School District, which was fiscal agent before April 2010.
At the Monday meeting, Quarless said the CCISD board and Superintendent Dennis Harbour are still trying to determine if the CCISD should take over operation of BRIDGE again.
"I think the ISD wants to develop a written agreement among the schools," he said.
Quarless said as the fiscal agent for BRIDGE, DB-TC has more state requirements than the CCISD did.
"It's taken much more work than anybody realizes," he said.
William Rivest, DB-TC K-12 principal, said the legislature in Lansing is considering making changes to funding for alternative schools.
"There's some pending legislation out there," he said. "They're in discussion stages."
Board members voted unanimously to end their responsibility as BRIDGE fiscal agent.
The board members approved the amended 2011-12 budget and the proposed 2012-13 budget.
For the 2011-12 budget, the final revenues were $2,275,707 and final expenditures were $2,258,804. The fund balance was $256,807. BRIDGE had a negative fund balance of $8,353, with a beginning fund balance of $46,707.
The proposed 2012-13 budget has expected revenues of $2,222,891 and expected expenditures of $2,218,114 with an estimated fund balance of $206,716.
Band instructor Paula McKaig told the board about the planned band trip to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area Aug. 14-16.
McKaig said 21 band members are intending to take the tri-annual trip at an expected cost of about $11,000. Students are still raising funds for the trip. Each student must pay $400.
In other business, board members:
heard from Rivest during his report the district will be getting 40 refurbished computers for a cost of $240 each to be placed in the T.R. Davis Elementary School. The computers being replaced are about 10 years old and rapidly degrading. The district file server is also being replaced at a cost of $4,000.
heard from Rivest 40 gallons of paint were obtained with a Painting a Brighter Future grant from Risto's Hardware True Value in Hancock. Classrooms, restrooms, door frames, hallways and the boys' locker room will be repainted.
approved renewing membership in the Michigan High School Athletic Association.