Grand Ledge MEAP Scores Above State Average
By Brooks Laimbeer
A Living On The Ledge Writer
According to the Michigan Educational Department website, the Grand Ledge School District was at or above the state average Michigan Educational Assessment Program scores in mathematics and reading.
Only one score, math for third graders, in the Grand Ledge school district fell below the state average; this score was 4 percent lower than the 95 percent state average.
“Until I have all my students scoring as 100 percent proficient, I am never going to be satisfied because I want all my students to be successful,” said Kathy Peasley, Grand Ledge Public School curriculum director.
During the past year, the Grand Ledge School Districthas lost 100 students and is now at a total of 5,141, which is less than 10 students per grade level, Peasley said.
Graph of MEAP scores in mathematics
The city of Grand Ledge has also seen its total population decline from 7,806 to 7,786, according to the 2010 US Census Bureau.
A population decrease does not affect MEAP scores unless the decrease is dramatic, Peasley said.
The biggest factors that effect a school district’s MEAP score are the school district’s curriculum and students who enter into a new school district in the middle of a district’s academic curriculum.
“When you have students moving in and out of your school district, there is a higher potential that they haven’t learned the concepts for a particular grade-level MEAP,” Peasley said.
Because of Grand Ledge’s geographical location, they do not receive as many applicants for “schools of choice” students. (more…)
Grand Ledge High School athletics in danger of being Cut
By Mandilyn Kerr
Living on the Ledge Staff Writer
Pep rallies and cheering on players may no longer be associated with the high school experience for Grand Ledge High School students if the athletics program is cut due to Gov. Snyder’s proposed budget plan.
At the past two school board meetings, the budget has been the major focus. How the district will deal with the proposed budget cuts have yet to be finalized. Cutting athletic programs and bussing are two of the proposed scenarios. If bussing and athletic programs were to be cut, the district would still have to downsize. The district must cut $4 million from a total budget of $44 million. The extent of the downsizing is still unclear. Snyder’s proposed budget includes reducing per pupil funding by $470 per student.
Cuts
Grand Ledge School BoardPresident Donald Symonds said there is “the possibility of eliminating all contributions to athletics. I’m cautious there because I’m not sure we’ll eliminate athletics because I think the community would make sure athletics stayed alive.”
Grand Ledge High School athletics has an annual budget of $500,000. Photo Credit: Grand Ledge High School
Athletics makes up $500,000 of the annual budget for the district.
Cutting athletics alone would not solve the problem. (more…)
Grand Ledge community fights against budget cuts
By Carlee Schepeler
Living on the Ledge Staff Writer
Grand Ledge residents showed up March 28 to voice their opinions on Snyder’s proposal. Photo by Alan Miller.
More than 500 Grand Ledge residents attended the March 28 school board meeting to protest Gov. Snyder’s proposal
to reduce per pupil funding by $470.
“[Legislators] don’t listen to school board members,” Trustee Kim Mulvenna said to the audience, “but they will listen to you.”
Mulvenna has lived in Grand Ledge since 1994, and has served on the Board of Education since 2001. Her son graduated from the Grand Ledge Public Schools. (more…)
Proposals Trouble School Districts
Written By Brooks Laimbeer
Living On The Ledge Staff Writer
In the most recent budget proposal for the state of Michigan, Gov. Rick Synder has proposed to cut $470 per pupil from each public school district in Michigan.
“If the governor succeeds at cutting $470 per-pupil for next year, I don’t know a district in the state that won’t have to touch something in the way of curriculum,” chief financial officer of Troy’s School District, Mark Rajter said.
There are three things that the Grand Ledge School District is looking to do to help school funding.
Photo by Brooks Laimbeer
One is a 14 percent pay-cut in the administration. Two is to park the buses and cut the athletics programs. Finally the last option is to bring in an emergency financial manager from the state, which acts like a dictator, Grand Ledge School District’s chief financial officer, Tom Goodwin said.
“We are all frustrated with the instructional and non-instructional cuts and the governor is going to decimate public education if he continues down this road,” Rajter said.
Grand Ledge Schools District’s Problems
The Grand Ledge Public School system receives $7,426 per pupil, which ranks in the bottom 15th percentile in terms of state funding per student, 657 out of 775 public schools, in the state of Michigan, Goodwin said.
“This district (Grand Ledge) is just barely above the minimum in terms of what it funds its schools,” Goodwin said.
T.E.A.M. program works to build empowered youth
By Carlee Schepeler
Living on the Ledge Staff Writer
T.E.A.M. logo
In the Grand Ledge school district, the Teaching Education and Mentoring School Liaison Program – also known as T.E.A.M. – is at work to teach students about more than the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.
The Michigan State Police and Central Michigan University developed T.E.A.M. in 1998. The program is made up of a predetermined set of 23 lessons, to take place from kindergarten through 12th grade, which are intended to teach students safety and responsibility. Lessons range from 30 to 45 minutes long and are taught by trained certified law enforcement officers.
“As age increases, lessons become more detailed,” said Sgt. Anthony Gatewood of the Grand Ledge Police Department, who was a liaison in the program until he was promoted in June. (more…)
Grand Ledge Public Schools named to AP Achievement List by College Board
By: Nicholas Bright
Living on the Ledge Staff Writer
- GLPS Logo
The Grand Ledge Public School District is one of almost 400 school districts in the nation being honored with a place on the AP Achievement List, by the College Board. Grand Ledge Public Schools were able to open Advanced Placement classrooms to a broader group of students, while still improving the percentage of students earning scores of three or higher.
According to Grand Ledge Public Schools, from 2008 to 2010, Grand Ledge Public Schools has increased the number of students participating in AP courses from 116 to149, while still enabling more than 70 percent of its AP students to earn scores of three or higher in everything except AP Spanish.
- Grand Ledge High School
With improvements like these, Grand Ledge High School must be doing something different in order to get their students at this high level of learning.
“I have heard the Superintendant talk about a number of programs that have been set and others that will be set up that what sounds like to me should improve testing even more,” the Grand Ledge City Administrator Jon Bayless said.
Tutoring and the National Honors Society are just two of the many school programs helping student at Grand Ledge High school improve their grades and standardized test scores. Also, an addition of two AP classes this school year brought the total of the amount in the school to seven.
These programs have done a lot for the high school, but AP Chemistry teacher Benjamin Lorson thinks that the big boost in the numbers for AP testing comes from the trimester schedule. (more…)
School Board deals with Gov. Snyder’s proposed budget
By Mandilyn Kerr
Living on the Ledge Staff Writer
The Grand Ledge School Board met on Feb. 28 to discuss how to deal with recent budget cuts proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder. There is the possibility of an Emergency Financial Manager Authority being assigned by the State of Michigan to handle the district’s budget that is unsettling to the school board.
Snyder’s proposed budget includes reducing per pupil funding by $470 per student. Currently, with declining enrollment funds and a decrease in funding received per pupil, the Grand Ledge School District is looking at an actual deficit of just exceeding $900,000, Grand Ledge Schools Chief Financial Officer, Thomas Goodwin said.
Grand Ledge Schools Financial Manager, Thomas Goodwin, presents an updated budget to the Board of Education and community members. Photo Credit: Mandilyn Kerr
Scenarios
In light of the new budget proposed by Gov. Snyder, the board has established three scenarios for the Grand Ledge School District.
The scenarios are as follows:
1. Cut transportation (this would save the district $2.2 million) and athletics (this would save the district $500,000)
2. Consolidate schools to another district
3. The State would send in an Emergency Financial Manager Authority, EFMA
Click HERE to learn more about per pupil costs.
Michigan’s new Budget proposal may make Education even Harder
Brandon Grenier
Living on the Ledge staff writer
Grand Ledge Public Schools will be listing a job opening this Monday, Feb. 28 to find a new superintendent for next year. If Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget proposal is approved, it will make it harder for school districts all across the state to maintain their standards.
Steve Matthews, the Grand Ledge school district’s Superintendent recently accepted an offer to take control of the Novi School system next year. He will receive a 40% pay increase when he makes the switch to Novi, which Grand Ledge could not possibly afford to match. The Grand Ledge Public Schools (GLPS) have already published their tentative timeline for finding a new superintendent, and plan to waste no time. Linda Wacyk, the Vice President of the Grand Ledge School Board says that they are committed to working hard to find a worthy candidate in time.
Grand Ledge Tentative Timeline for Superintendent Search
“[We are] working hard to have someone on the job before the start of the 2011-12 school year,” said Wacyk.
The School Board’s current timeline says they will announce their new superintendent on May 2, 2011. Grand Ledge has been forced to replace two superintendents in just three years, and the latest loss was due to lack of funding. Wacyk reinforced suspicions that money could be an issue in finding a new candidate.
“Until the legislature comes up with a more equitable way to fund schools,” Wacyk said, “ we’ll be somewhat limited in our ability to compensate our employees on the level they probably deserve.”
Grand Ledge schools put students’ needs first
By Carlee Schepeler
Living on the Ledge Staff Writer
On Monday, Jan. 24, the Grand Ledge school board announced that it hired Abigail Taylor, a new high school teacher.
Taylor is a familiar face in Grand Ledge. In three instances, she has substituted on a long-term basis, between two and six months. She has strong experience working with special education students.
“Taylor was very effective. She really became part of the staff,” said Daniel Davis, assistant superintendent for human resources of Grand Ledge Public Schools. “She worked well with the administration, parents, students, and other teachers. We knew she would fit in [as a permanent staff member].”
Taylor was hired as a resource room coordinator, and will be working primarily with 9th and 10th grade students struggling in English courses. She was one of seven applicants.
Source: Michigan Student Data System
The school board was in search of applicants highly qualified in the English and Language Arts departments, but also wanted someone capable of helping students with learning disabilities.
“[Taylor] thoroughly understands the needs of special needs students,” said Davis, who was involved in the interview process from start to finish. “She knows how to help them when they are struggling and how to help them understand the material. In short, she knows how to get kids to where they need to be.” (more…)
Grand Ledge High School implements state funded grant
By Courtney Rivette
Living on the Ledge Staff Writer
Grand Ledge High School is in year one of a three-year grant initiative that aims to prevent student dropouts. Administrators are in the process of collecting data that will be used in the next two years of the Reaching and Teaching Struggling Learners grant.
Dropout rates at GLHS compared to dropout rates in Michigan
Dropout rates for GLHS have been well below the state average in recent years, according to the Center for Educational Performance and Information. In 2009, the CEPI indicated that GLHS had a 3.36 percent dropout rate compared to an 11.33 percent state average. Despite the low percentage, administrators still worry about students who don’t make it to graduation.
Dawn Anderson, the GLHS counselor has seen 18 seniors drop out this school year.
The graduating class of 2011 is the first group of students responsible for completing the coursework in the Michigan Merit curriculum. The MMC requires high school students to graduate with four credits in mathematics and English, three credits in science and social studies, one credit in physical education and visual, performing and applied arts and an online learning experience. GLHS Assistant Principal, Jill Mangrum said that the curriculum could be a factor in this year’s dropout rate. (more…)
Athletic budget cuts costing students
By Courtney Rivette
Living on the Ledge Staff Writer
The Grand Ledge High School athletic department is operating under a budget approximately $200,000 less than in previous years as part of a recent restructuring plan. The budget cuts have led to increased costs for student athletes.
The athletic budget cuts have decreased the athletic transportation and the supply budgets, and have eliminated some coaching positions. This school year, student athletes are required to pay $100 per sport instead of the flat fee of $130 charged in the past, along with other fees that each individual sport requires.
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