GRPS Board only hears criticism on proposed budget

Last night the Grand Rapids School Board held a public hearing on the proposed budget for the upcoming school year. A much smaller crowd was in attendance compared to recent weeks, with an estimated 75 people in attendance.

Everyone who spoke during public comment was critical of the proposed budget, despite the recent announcement from Lansing that some funding would now be coming to the struggling school district.

The first person to address the school board was a PTA president from North Park School. His recommendations on the proposed budget were to not cut funding for art & music as well as an emphasis on pre-school education funding. In addition, he mentioned that their school/PTA is hosting a forum on education and education funding with state legislators this Thursday, which will be a great opportunity for people to pressure state officials on education funding issues.

Some of those who spoke addressed the school board to discuss the importance of revenue in addition to the budget. Paul Haan urged the school board members to be more creativity in generating revenue, beyond state funded enrollment numbers. He asks what else is being done and advocates that GRPS needs to have a more aggressive plan to find revenue. He also advocated for restoration pre-school education funding, funding for arts & music, and trimming administrative costs.

Several speakers were also critical of the HUB model and how it fits into the proposed budget. One teacher said she supports theme schools, because they provide some choices for students and parents. She believes that the proposed budget threatens the existence of these themed schools and their diverse practices, which she says provide great learning opportunities for students.

A music teacher from CA Frost School said she was opposed to cuts in music and art. She believes that students need a strong foundation of music and art in order to develop better learning skills. She also shared a story about how one student improved on his grades in order to stay in her music class.

Some of the students with the GRPS Student Union spoke next. Luis Lara stated that the current educational system is not working and the proposed “blended model” will only continue that trend. He reminds the school board that they work for the students and parents and should seek out their counsel and not just rely on the school superintendent.

Another student, Dan Morrow, read a quote from a fellow student about the importance of having art as a means expressing herself. Morrow also expressed his opposition to proposed cuts to music and art. He ended his comments by saying that the budget should be decided by people who grew up in this district and not by suits who make $150,000, referring to Superintendent Taylor.

Several other parents addressed the school board as well and one said that the budget is less about dollars and more about priorities. This parent felt that having effective, highly qualified teachers in the district should drive the budget.

The last person to speak was a teacher in the GRPS system and said he doesn’t feel good about his job. He feels that all he does as a teacher is to try to reduce failure. He also said the school district has been changing and that education is fraught with trends, but what “we need to do is see what works for our students. We need parental involvement and trained teachers.” He pleads with the board to show some leadership to serve these children.

After the event we spoke with a member of the local chapter of the ACLU who said that they have been in communication with students and parents who told them that they have been harassed and intimidated for speaking out against the school board and school administration. If anything more on this surfaces we will report on that aspect of this issue in the future.