South Redford Schools Cut Secondary Vocal Music

This article was released in the Redford Observer Newspaper this evening. You can read by clicking on the title above.


South Redford school officials agreed to slice $2 million from next year's budget, largely by laying off eight teachers and cutting the district's busing program in half by eliminating busing to Thurston High School.

During a tumultuous, standing-room-only school board meeting Monday, board members also chose to increase the pay-to-participate fees (to $150 for Thurston, $100 for Pierce Middle School); eliminate the high school athletic director position, but roll those duties into the Thurston assistant principal job; move to fall elections; and slash the extra club pay for teachers and staff from $300,000 to $100,000.

Two other teaching jobs were eliminated, the vocal music director for secondary school and the vacant home economics position.

Board members plan to approve a budget by June 23 to meet state requirements. The $2 million shortfall was based on a budget planned to have no increase in state per-pupil funding, but also contractual increases in longevity pay and retirements and big fuel price hikes. The district also lost almost $300,000 in local revenue, due to fewer tuition students and less adult education and latch-key income, officials said.

School board members shared frustrations with the process and the timing. Supt. Linda Hicks and business manager Teresa Davis worked through a PowerPoint presentation of $7 million options for cuts that were projected onto a screen as board members asked questions or tried to reach consensus. No votes were taken, though.