50 Teachers Could Be Cut, 37-Student Classes May Come to Northville

Parents in the were warned Monday night at a special meeting at that big changes are on the way.

More than 50 teachers may be cut and class sizes could increase to up to 37 students each for the 2011-12 school year if administrators can’t find a better way to eliminate a projected $7 million deficit.

The district must balance its budget by June 30, by state law. In looking at the state’s planned per pupil funding cuts to each district, Northville administrators said at the meeting that it is planning on the worst-case scenario when it comes to spending for the next year.

A second meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at .

The purpose of the meeting was to present information, gain support for a tax increase to pay for capital improvements and to encourage residents to contact their state representatives to ask for leniency in cutting education funds, said Superintendent Leonard Rezmierski.

“We want people to contact their legislators, even go to Lansing with us,” he said.

Michael Zopf, deputy superintendent of finance and operations, told about 70 parents and residents attending the meeting that the district has about $1.5 million in a fund balance, a savings account of sorts. However, along with a projected $3.6 million loss in state funds, the district also is facing higher benefit and retirement costs, as well as new union contracts this year.

“We really can’t afford to budget conservatively, we have to plan for the severe scenario,” Zopf said. This includes seeing the student count drop 75 students from its current count of 6,936.

It’s possible the district could gain up to $8 million by gaining concessions from the unions, such as a 10 percent wage reduction across the board, Zopf said. However, these contracts aren’t up until Aug. 31, and could be extended, too long after the budget is due.

Mary Kay Gallagher, the current superintendent of instruction (who takes over as superintendent in July after Rezmierski retires), told those at the meeting that in the severe budget cut plan, the district will need to cut at least 52.5 teacher positions, as well as privatizing some services. That could mean eliminating more busing and reducing administrative and support staff.

The teacher cuts would mean that class sizes will jump significantly across the district. Kindergarten classes would go from 22 students to 26, elementary classes would rise from 25 students per teacher to up to 35 students, middle school classes would jump from 29 students to 37 students and high school classes would increase from 27 students to 37 students per teacher.

“We don’t want to do this, but we have to pass a balanced budget,” Gallagher said.

Since about 89 percent of the total $66.2 million in district spending goes to pay salaries and benefits, it makes sense that that is where the cuts need to come from, Zopf said.

“For every dollar we spend in salaries, we pay another 54 cents in benefit costs,” he said.

The proposed sinking fund millage would not alleviate the $7 million projected deficit, Rezmierski said. The five-year tax will raise about $2.5 million each year for five years, to help pay for items such as a new roof at Thornton Creek Elementary, Internet technology upgrades and new boilers at some schools. An owner of a home worth about $300,000 will pay about $150 more each year if the millage is approved at a May 3 election.

A sinking fund millage allows a district to vote to raise taxes to pay for capital improvements, but not for salaries, other operating costs or curriculum. This would be the first time the district has attempted to pass a sinking fund millage.

“The millage will help us in the future. If we don’t do this, and one of our roofs fail, that’s a couple million dollars right there that we’d have to pull out of the general fund, making any future deficit that much worse,” Rezmierski said.

Other districts have proposed closing schools to balance their budgets, such as Plymouth-Canton, which plans to eliminate one elementary school. However, Rezmierski said no such redistricting is planned for Northville. “Our schools are all pretty much full,” he said.

Parent Becky Barnhart said she was deeply concerned about what she heard at the meeting, and said the state lawmakers need to get their priorities in order.

“I can live without some potholes being filled, or paying for those film credits," she said. "Can we live with thinking we are shortchanging our children?”