At Monday’s Muskegon Heights city council meeting, councilman Vernonell Smith encouraged anyone in the community to help a cleanup effort this coming Saturday for Muskegon Heights Public Schools.
“Financially, this is something we can work with if we get off that four year clock [set by the Fruitport termination notice],” said city manager Natasha Henderson. “This is something we can plan with for now.”
Felske expressed to those in attendance at Tuesday’s board of education meeting that the district would be in better shape if the state made up its mind about what is required.
Next year’s budget will also not include costs for operating Craig School, as the board voted on a separate agenda item to close the building starting with the 2012-2013 school year and relocate its students to the MCEC building.
Councilwoman McGlothin argued that starting with Fruitport’s notice in April 2011 that it was exiting its water contract with Muskegon Heights, the township’s authority to negotiate a new deal alongside Norton Shores ceased to exist.
Key provisions of the multi-part settlement appear to revolve around the short notice of termination of health benefits and the disruption of the Weatherspoon’s short timeline to enact any educational plan before the start of the coming school year.
Once a private management company is selected, Dr. Weatherspoon will appoint a three-member charter board, who will oversee the company’s operations. The publicly elected Board of Education will serve as an advisory role to Weatherspoon and the charter board.
Key to the plan is a request to continue the current tax assessed on the residents of Muskegon Heights to pay for the building of the high school over a decade ago. This tax expires in 2013, but Weatherspoon will propose to continue it beyond that date. Those funds would go toward paying down the district’s debt.
Between academic and facilities improvements, Dr. Weatherspoon believes the tide of students leaving can be stemmed or even reversed. He repeatedly stated Wednesday that academic improvement is inextricably tied to the district’s financial woes.