Wyoming school board approves closings

WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) - Wyoming Public Schools' Huntington Woods and Rogers Lane elementary schools will close at the end of the year under the facilities plan approved by the school board Monday night.

The plan cuts roughly $1.5 million of a projected $2.5 million deficit for the 2009-2010 school year, the result of a one-two punch districts across the state have been hit with -- declining enrollment and a planned cut in per-student school funding from the state.

Huntington Woods and Rogers Lane had been potential closure targets given their status as the two smallest buildings in the system. But Monday's final decision was emotional for parents and board members.

"I have had children in Huntington Woods going on eight years," Shaltreece Reddick said, fighting back tears.

Reddick sits on the board, putting her in the uncomfortable position of voting to close her children's school.

"Despite an overwhelming desire to see our Huntington Woods way of life stay intact, it is irresponsible and terrible service for to me to place emotional attachment ahead of the reality not just facing our district but our state as a whole," she said.

The vote approving the closure plan recommended by the superintendent late last week was unanimous.

The facilities plan eliminates 32 positions in the district, including 12 teaching positions. Twelve support positions, two administrative positions and approximately six food service positions will also be cut.

Wyoming Public Schools will now operate four kindergarten-through-fourth-grade schools (Gladiola, Parkview, Taft and West), one fifth- and sixth-grade school (Jackson Park), one sixth- and seventh-grade school (Newhall) and one kindergarten-through-sixth-grade "multi-age" school (Oriole Park).

Huntington Woods will reopen as an early childhood center.

But that means it won't be able to serve Melissa Slachter's children any longer. She said she was not surprised, but "very upset. Very sad."

Slachter teared up as the vote was taken. The mother of six children at Huntington Woods wonders where she will send them next year. She said she is waiting to see where the Huntington teachers will be placed.

Parent Chris Koorndyk isn't surprised either. She wonders why community input sessions were even held.

"Why have input when they were going to choose what saved the most money in the first place?" Koorndyk asked in an interview.

Superintendent Jon Felske says he did consider the public's input and plans Huntington parents put together to save their school.

"But when you look at all those things, at the end of the day, looking at how many students are continually coming to West (Elementary) versus Huntington Woods, it makes the most sense to continue to leave West Elementary open and obviously to redirect the Huntington Woods families," he said.

The remainder of the projected 2009-2010 budget hole will be filled with $700,000 in "IDEA" special education money from the federal stimulus and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fund balance, what some school administrators term a "rainy day fund."

Board President Mary VandeWater said at the close of Monday's meeting that those upset with the outcome should "get together and take Lansing by storm," referring to what she and others see as insufficient funding for school systems and a long-standing imbalance between the per-student funding for many West Michigan systems compared to some in suburban Detroit.

"Make a difference so this never has to happen here again."

Elementary school boundaries under the plan passed Monday night can be found on page 21 of this document