Schools

Layoffs, Budget Cuts on Tonight's School Board Meeting Agenda

Board members and administrators to discuss an anticipated $5.5 million loss in education funding and possible cuts and changes.

Budget challenges and teacher layoffs are on the agenda for tonight's Royal Oak Board of Education meeting.

The agenda includes discussions on how the district will absorb an anticipated nearly $5.5 million loss, which is the net amount of a proposed $470 per-pupil funding cut outlined in Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed budget, increasing retirement and health care costs, reduced special education funding and declining enrollment.

Superintendent Thomas Moline said if Snyder’s budget is adopted as proposed, cuts would impact students. Moline published a list of possible cuts and changes, including:

Find out what's happening in Royal Oakwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • increase in class size
  • elimination of some athletic offerings
  • elimination of all-day kindergarten
  • increasing student participation fees in clubs, activities and athletics
  • elimination of International Baccalaureate programs
  • special education will be seriously affected
  • career and technical education will be seriously affected
  • students not having access to current technology

Tonight, John Schwartz, the school district's executive director of business and personnel services, is to provide an economic/budget update and discuss possible cuts including layoff notices.

Other items on the agenda include awarding Betty Campion with the Distinguished Support Service Award, Royal Oak Middle School course offerings and an extension agreement with the Royal Oak Educational Support Association.

Find out what's happening in Royal Oakwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Royal Oak school board is scheduled to meet 7 p.m. today at the .


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