The Eagle Eye - Hale Area Schools

The Eagle Eye
January 2014
“A Look Into The Hale Area Schools”
Hale Schools Back on
Track
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Update from Lansing
1
Sports Schedules
2
District Calendar
3
District Information
4
STATE OF MICHIGAN
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
LANSING
Daniel M. Hanrahan, Director
Office of State Aid and School Finance
Transportation issues and
excused absences still
need to be communicated
in writing. Emergencies
must be phoned in prior
to the 2:15 pm deadline,
to ensure the changes can
be made.
November 14, 2013
Ron Kraft, Superintendent
Hale Area Schools
200 West Main Street
Hale, MI 48739
Dear Superintendent Kraft:
The Michigan Department of Education would like to take this opportunity to commend you,
your administration, and your local school board on successfully eliminating the deficit fund
balance during fiscal year 2013. A review of your board -approved budget also projects a positive fund balance at the end of the 2013-14 school year.
Are your student’s shots
up to date? State law
requires that all students
maintain current immunizations while enrolled in
school. If you do not wish
to have your child immunized, a waiver must
be filed in the school office. Failure to do either
can exclude your student
from attending classes in
our school. We must be in
state compliance by Jan.
31. Thank you for your
cooperation.
Because the deficit has been eliminated, it is no longer necessary to submit the monthly budgetary control reports to our office.
Sincerely,
Daniel M. Hanrahan, Director
Office of State Aid and School Finance
cc:
dd: Chad Urchike, Office of State Aid and School Finance, MDE Jeff Kolb, Office of State Aid
and School Finance, MDE
Copies of the enclosed letters can be seen in the administration office during normal business hours.
Please be aware that your child may go out to recess daily. Children need to be dressed appropriately for
the cold and snow. Please make sure that your child has a hat, warm coat, mittens, and when necessary,
boots and snow pants every day. If your student needs something, please ask. Due to generous community support, we have some items available if you have need. Thank you.
DISTRICT NEWSLETTER
JV GIRLS Basketball
All games start 6:00pm
JV Boys Basketball
All Games start 6:00pm
Date
Opponent
Place
Date
Opponent
Place
Dec. 09
Rogers City High School
HS Gymnasium
Dec. 02
@ Wolverine High School
Wolverine High School
Jan. 07
Saginaw Arts and Sciences
Academy
@ AuGres−Sims High
School
Fairview High School
HS Gymnasium
Jan. 08
Wolverine High School
HS Gymnasium
AuGres-Sims High
Jan. 10
Au Gres−Sims High School
HS Gymnasium
HS Gymnasium
Jan. 14
@ Fairview High School
Fairview High School
St. Mary’s School
(Lake Leelanau)
Atlanta High School
Jan. 15
Jan. 23
@ St. Mary’s School (Lake
Leelanau)
@ Atlanta High School
@ Alcona Community
Middle/High School
Alcona Community Middle/
High School
Jan. 28
Mio−AuSable High School
HS Gymnasium
Jan. 20
@ Hillman High School
Hillman High School
Jan. 31
Alcona Community
Middle/High School
Hillman High School
Jan. 21
Jan. 27
Feb. 07
Posen High School
HS Gymnasium
Jan. 30
Feb. 11
AuGres−Sims High School
HS Gymnasium
@ Oscoda Area High
School
@ Mio−AuSable High
School
Alcona Community Middle/
High School
Oscoda Area High School
Feb. 04
@ Alcona Community
Middle/High School
@ Hillman High School
Feb. 12
Tawas Area HS (Hale JV vs
Tawas Freshmen w/ Girls
JV vs Tawas Freshmen)
@ Fairview High School
HS Gymnasium
Feb. 19
Alcona Community Middle/
High School
HS Gymnasium
Feb. 21
Atlanta High School
HS Gymnasium
Feb. 26
@ Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy
Saginaw Arts and
Sciences Academy
Feb. 28
@ Whittemore−Prescott
MS/HS
Whittemore−Prescott
MS/HS
Jan. 09
Jan. 13
Jan. 18
Feb. 14
Fairview High School
Mio−AuSable High School
HS Gymnasium
Feb. 03
Hillman High School
HS Gymnasium
Feb. 06
@ Posen High School
Posen High School
Feb. 10
Au Gres−Sims High School
Feb. 12
@ Au Gres−Sims High
School
Tawas Area HS (Versus
Tawas freshmen / with
JV boys)
HS Gymnasium
Feb. 13
Fairview High School
HS Gymnasium
VArsity GIRLS Basketball
All games start 6:00pm
Varsity Boys Basketball
All Games Start 6:00 pm
Date
Opponent
Place
Date
Opponent
Place
Dec. 09
Rogers City High School
Hale HS Gym
Nov. 21
Scrimmage @ Saginaw Arts
SA & Sci Gym
Jan. 07
Hale HS Gym
Jan. 08
Wolverine High School
HS Gymnasium
Jan. 09
Saginaw Arts and Sciences
Academy
@ AuGres−Sims High School
AuGres HS Gym
Jan. 10
AuGres−Sims High School
HS Gymnasium
Jan. 13
Fairview High School
Hale HS Gym
Jan. 14
@ Fairview High School
Fairview High School
Jan. 18
@ St. Mary’s School (Lake
Leelanau)
St. Mary’s HS Gym
5:00 pm start
Jan. 17
@ Arenac Eastern Middle/
High School (Varsity only)
Arenac Eastern
Middle/High School
Jan. 24
Atlanta High School
(Varsity only)
HS Gymnasium
Jan. 27
@ Mio−Ausable High School
Mio−AuSable HS
Jan. 30
Alcona Community Middle/
High School
HS Gymnasium
Jan. 23
@ Atlanta High School
Atlanta HS Gym
Jan. 28
Mio−AuSable High School
Hale HS Gym
Jan. 31
@ Alcona Community
Middle/High School
Alcona HS Gym
Feb. 04
@ Hillman High School
Hillman HS Gym
Feb. 07
Posen High School
Hale HS Gym
Feb. 03
Hillman High School
HS Gymnasium
Feb. 06
@ Posen High School
Posen High School
Feb. 10
@ AuGres−Sims High School
AuGres−Sims HS
Feb. 11
AuGres−Sims High School
Hale HS Gym
Feb. 14
@ Fairview High School
Fairview HS Gym
Feb. 19
Alcona Community Middle/High
School
Atlanta High School
Hale HS Gym
7:30 pm start
Hale HS Gym
Feb. 13
Fairview High School
HS Gymnasium
Feb. 17
Arenac Eastern Middle/High
School (Varsity only)
HS Gymnasium
@ Saginaw Arts and Sciences
Academy
@ Whittemore−Prescott MS/HS
SA & Sci Gym
Feb. 20
@ Atlanta High School
(Varsity only)
Atlanta High School
Feb. 21
Feb. 26
Feb. 28
Whittemore HS Gym
“WE ARE THE EAGLES, THE MIGHTY MIGHTY EAGLES”
DISTRICT NEWSLETTER
HALE AREA SCHOOLS
Operating Millage Renewal Election
On Tuesday, February 25, 2014, Hale Area Schools will ask its
voters to renew, for a ten-year period, the authorization for the School District
to levy 18 mills on all "non-homestead property" located within the School
District's boundaries. The property tax revenues that the School District will
collect from the millage levy will be used to finance a portion of the School
District's operating costs. "Non-homestead property" does NOT include principal residence property, qualified agricultural property, qualified forestry
property or industrial personal property. Furthermore, commercial personal
property is exempt from the first 12 mills of the 18 mills to be levied by the
School District. The School District's authorization to levy this millage expired with the School District's last property tax levy on July 1, 2013.
Voters may recall that this 18 mill operating tax levy was part of a
complex plan to restructure the source of funding public school district operations in Michigan that culminated on March 15, 1994, when the voters approved a State-wide ballot proposal commonly known as "Proposal A" to
amend the Michigan Constitution, in part, (i) to increase the State sales tax
from 4% to 6% in order to reduce the reliance on local property taxes for
school operating purposes and (ii) to reduce the per pupil finance resource
disparities among Michigan school districts.
The State aid package passed by the Michigan Legislature as part of
that school finance reform legislation instituted a per pupil foundation allowance for each public school district beginning in fiscal year 1994/95. This
foundation allowance is funded by the 18 mill operating tax levied by each
school district on the non-homestead property located within its boundaries
and a 6 mill State Education Tax levied by the State of Michigan on all taxable
property throughout Michigan, along with the other taxing sources described
below.
Before the approval of Proposal A, the operating costs of all Michigan public school districts were financed primarily by local property taxes
levied by each school district and secondarily by contributions from the State.
After the approval of Proposal A, such operating costs are financed primarily
by contributions from the State and secondarily by property taxes levied by
each school district. The revenues for the State's contribution to the foundation allowance for each school district are derived from a mix of taxing
sources, including, but not limited to, the State Education Tax described
above, a State sales and use tax, a real estate transfer tax and a cigarette tax.
However, in order for each school district to receive its FULL per pupil foundation allowance, it must levy the 18 mill operating tax on all "non-homestead
property" located within the School District. Consequently, Hale Area
Schools will ask its voters to renew the authorization for the School District to
levy this millage on Tuesday, February 25, 2014.
The following is the operating millage renewal proposal as it will appear
on the ballot:
OPERATING MILLAGE RENEWAL PROPOSAL
This proposal will allow the school district to continue to
levy the statutory rate of 18 mills on all property, except
principal residence and other property exempted by law,
required for the school district to receive its revenue per
pupil foundation allowance.
Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all
property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, in
Hale Area Schools, Iosco and Ogemaw Counties, Michigan, be increased by
18 mills ($18.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 10 years,
2014 to 2023, inclusive, to provide funds for operating purposes; the estimate
of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and
levied in 2014 is approximately $2,840,237 (this is a renewal of millage
which expired with the 2013 tax levy)
DISTRICT NEWSLETTER
September 19, 2013
Mr. Ronald Kraft, Superintendent
Hale Area Schools
200 West Main
Hale, MI 48739
Dear Mr. Kraft:
I would like to offer my compliments to the administrators and staff of
the Hale Area Schools on their successful efforts to bring the district into
compliance with State and Federal requirements as identified by the Fiscal On Site Review team on November 29, 2010.
Bill Anderson, of the Financial Unit of the Office of Field Services (OFS), has
Informed me the Fiscal On Site Review compliance plan submitted for Hale
Area Schools has been implemented. With all the responsibilities that
schools must address, it is commendable that you were able to successfully
achieve this important goal.
Since all deficiency findings have been addressed and policies and procedures have been developed and implemented, Stephenson Gracik, P.C. is
released from their assignment to your district.
Michael W. Radke, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Field Services
A letter to Michael Boensch our Business Manager from RJ Naughton Bond
Consultant
Mike, Good afternoon. Here is a summary for the pending refunding bonds:
In 2004 the District had issued refunding bonds to refinance the 1996 School
Building and Site Bonds. With a refunding bond, new bonds are issued at current interest rates in order to replace bonds at a higher interest rate – much like
refinancing a mortgage. The refunding in 2004 resulted in interest cost savings of
$686,891 realized over 17 years. This was a present value of $475,314 or 6.77%
of refunded principal. The debt levy was reduced 0.95 mills from 3.10 mills in
2014 to the current debt levy of 2.15. This millage reduction was due to increased Taxable Value, repayment of principal and interest cost savings from the
2004 refunding. The District is planning to take advantage of low interest rates
and refund the outstanding 2004 Refunding Bonds in 2014. The 2014 Refunding
Bonds are estimated to save $247,000 over 8 years and is an estimated present
value savings of $232,000 or 5.50% of refunded principal. The estimated
millage savings for the pending refunding is 0.19 mills. The savings and estimated millage impact will be determined after the pricing of the refunding bonds –
stay tuned.
Please reply or call if you need more information.
Thank you.
Robert J. Naughton, Vice President
Stauder, Barch & Associates, Inc.
3989 Research Park Drive
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108
HALE AREA SCHOOLS
200 West Main
HALE, MI 48739
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Mrs. Valerie Cryderman, President
Mr. Terry Bovee, Vice-President
Mr. Ric Braun, Treasurer
Mrs. Karol Shellenbarger, Secretary
Mr. John Heydon, Trustee
Mr. John Brindley, Trustee
Ron Kraft, Superintendent / Michael Bowman, K-12 Principal
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit No.11
Hale, MI. 48739
Local Postal Patron
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS ARE HELD THE SECOND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH AT 7:00 pm IN THE K-12 Library, 311 N. Washington., Hale
December 19, 2013
Mr. Ronald Kraft, Superintendent
Dear Mr. Kraft:
I would like to take a moment to commend you, the District Business Manager, the Board of Education and all the staff at Hale Area Schools on the District’s accomplishments over the past three years. In the first year of our audit engagement, June 30, 2011, Hale Area Schools faced a deficit fund balance of $702,933. In addition to
the deficit, the District also faced mandated Tier 2 Compliance Testing over their Title I funds, due to the Michigan Department of Education deeming the District as being significantly out of compliance with the Federal Funding requirements.
These two situations forced the District to make tough decisions regarding budget cuts, caused the unions to take steep pay concessions and triggered management to
evaluate possible consolidation arrangements and review existing contracts for necessary services. In order to get the Title I program into compliance, management had
to work with and train various staff on the mandated procedural changes and also had to develop written policies and procedures for several areas identified by the State.
As of June 30, 2013, the District ended its fiscal year with a positive fund balance of $347,686. This is an increase from the deficit shown in 2011 of $1,050,619. In addition, on September 19, 2013, the District received notice from the Michigan Department of Education stating that Hale Area Schools had successfully implemented
all the requirements of their Title I Corrective Action Plan and were no longer required to receive the additional oversight involved with the Tier 2 Compliance Testing. To
take this accomplishment even further, in a meeting held with the Michigan Department of Education on November 18, 2013, one of the State’s Fiscal Auditors openly
discussed how impressed he was with the policies and procedures developed by Hale Area Schools and even went as far as to say that he would like to utilize Hale’s documents as templates provided to other Districts as examples.
Congratulations to the entire District of Hale Area Schools. W e applaud you and your entire staff for the time and effort put forth in turning a negative into a positive and in
putting the children of your District first in making sure that Hale Area Schools is still around to provide them with a quality education.
Sincerely,
Cynthia R. Scott, CPA Audit Manager
Stephenson, Gracik & Co., P.C.
2014 DATES TO REMEMBER
January 6
January 20
January 23
January 24
January 31
February 3
March 21
March 27
March 28
March 31
School Resumes
Professional Development Day / No students
Exams Early Dismissal
Exams Early Dismissal / End of Marking Period
End Of Open Enrollment
Professional Development Day / No Students
End of 3rd marking period
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Spring Break Begins / No school
Central Administration Office
728-7661, x 302
Superintendent: Ron Kraft
200 West Main St.
Athletic Department
728-6499
Directors: Joe Kimmerer &
Ryan Parkinson
K-12 School Office
728-3551
Principal: Michael Bowman
311 N. Washington St.
Food Service
728-5752
Supervisor Rhonda Brindley
311 N. Washington St.
Transportation
728-7771
Supervisor: Brian Curley
Web Address
www.haleschools.net
DISTRICT NEWSLETTER
SCHOOL CANCELLATIONS
Occasionally schools must be closed due to inclement weather. The decision
to close schools is made when it is determined that busses cannot safely navigate the roads to pick up students. Generally, the decision to close is not
made until early morning after an evaluation of road conditions is completed.
Announcement of closing is made immediately and periodically on the following radio and television stations:
TELEVISION
WNEM - TV 5
WBKB - TV 11
WEYI –TV 25
WJRT- TV 12
RADIO
WKJC/WIOS Tawas
WHNN
96.1 –Flint
KCQ 98.1 Saginaw
WBMI - West Branch
STUDENT SCHEDULES
Elementary School Day (grades K-6)
8:10 a.m.-3:20 p.m.
Junior High/High School (grades 7-12)
8:10 a.m.-3:20 p.m.
Breakfast served daily
7:35 a.m.–8:10 a.m.
When an early dismissal is scheduled, student releases are at:
12:35
These times are for regularly scheduled days only. Emergency situations due to weather
or unforeseen circumstances will be handled on an individual basis.