Posted on Wed, Sep 26, 2012 : 3:47 p.m.
Ypsilanti school district enrollment decreases by nearly 300 students; $2.2M in revenue may be lost
By AnnArbor.com Staff
Ypsilanti High School lost around 229 students, according to estimates.
Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
YPS Board President David Bates said the student loss may result in tough decisions for the district.
According to the Courier, Bates said he expects the number to slightly reduce by the official Michigan Count Day on Oct. 3.
The majority of the student loss is from the high school, which has seen a 229-student decline, the Courier reports.
Some families have cited the possible Ypsilanti-Willow Run consolidation as the reason for prompting them to pull their students out of the district. Residents will vote on the proposed consolidation Nov. 6.
To read the Courier story, click here.
Comments
localvoice
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 3:56 p.m.
Love unions or hate them... who do you think is pushing for things like smaller class sizes (not happening) , buses to pick up students on time (not happening) , buses to get the youngest home before 6:00 (not happening), teachers to have a classroom budget for items like pencils and paper (this year budgets were $0.00)? These are just a few issues. As for the comical comment about a business person teaching a business class.... bring it! Teaching is more that subject matter knowledge. I'm sure it would be a sight to see.
snapshot
Sun, Sep 30, 2012 : 4:31 a.m.
And who refuses innovation, who refuses to give a little in the economic downturn, who refuses to get rid of bad teachers, who refuses to submit to an equitable evauation system, who refuses to give anything up while the rest of us struggle to pay for their protectionist attitude, who has 58 billion dollars in unfunded beneftits, the unions, that's who. I don't want my hard esarned dollars going to pay for their coerced and unearned benefits and salaries
Angry Moderate
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 5:28 p.m.
Having subject matter expertise from the real world is quite successful with Community High's community resource classes, as well as with many classes at WCC and EMU.
Truthisfree
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 1:21 p.m.
Ypsilanti has 1,100 students in the high school. Willow Run less than 500. Lincoln 1,500 yet these 3 have independent school school districts that are ALL STRUGGLING academically. Total 3,100 high school students with 3 district administrations. Ann Arbor Huron, Pioneer and Skyline have over 2,000 EACH with one district and is flourishing academically. Not including Community High, Stone, or Roberto, just those 3 high schools have over 6,000 students but only ONE district. Leadership and community needs to coordinate and unite for the betterment of the students. Pooling resources for the CHILDREN to benefit.
snapshot
Sun, Sep 30, 2012 : 4:30 a.m.
And who refuses innovation, who refuses to give a little in the economic downturn, who frefuses to get rid of bad teachers, who refuses to submit to an equitable evauation system, who refuses to give anything up while the rest of us struggle to pay for their protectionist attitude, who has 58 billion dollars in unfunded beneftits, the unions, that's who. I don't want my hard esarned dollars going to pay for their coerced and unearned benefits and salaries.
Truthisfree
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 1:13 p.m.
I was one parent that removed my children. It is not the combination of Willow Run and Ypsilanti High that is the concern. It is the leadership. I sent an email asking about the change in curriculum and what the long term education plans are for freshman/sophomores that are taking 8 classes per year given the limited electives at Ypsilanti. What are the options for class choices for those students in their junior and senior years? I asked the School board and the head of curriculum and the head of curriculum NEVER responded. My concern is leadership within the district not caring about the students, only caring about their reputation or career. Ypsilanti High has had 5-6 principals over the last 5 years and then people shuffled back and forth between the high school and the middle school. Add to that they spend money on renovating the Administrative offices but students don't have books that they can take home to study from, instead they get photo copies of pages. The curriculum is set up to train unskilled laborers NOT move the children who have loads of potential toward college. The leadership is the reason, NOT the merger of the two districts.
snapshot
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 4:17 a.m.
Unprecedented union influence and lack of accountability over the past few decades has caused the failure of this district. these are concerned parents who do not want to doom their children to a lifetime of paying for an inferior education. This is parental involvement! Union influence has prevented the district to compensate and adapt to the rapidly changing economic environment. Those posters who oppose charter schools are exhibiting a protectionist attitude to maintain the status quo in failing districts. charter schools dedicate more money to the classroom while receiving less revenue per student. It is the union run districts that are stealing scarce dollars from our students, not charter schools. This should be a wake up call for anyone interested in education but instead there is whining about "for profit" charter schools destroying public education. 85% of revenue going to salaries, benefits, and pensions has destroyed our public schools. Go talk to your union leaders about their inflexibility for innovation and accountability. Stop whining and start filling in the hole you've dug for yourselves.
snapshot
Sun, Sep 30, 2012 : 4:55 a.m.
Greg too, you're right on all those points but show me where the unions even give a crap about them. they just keep taking and taking and taking at taxpayers expense. They refuse to give up any ground whatsoever and draw lines in the sand, challenge common sense legislation in courts with sympathetic judges and just keep on taking taking taking and never "giving" even just a little, and then they say it's all for the "kids" while condeming kids to inferiour educations to maintain a revenue stream, putting protectionist legislation in affect to prevent kids having a realistic option with a charter school and calling it reasonable. Give me a break dude. all I do is look at the facts in an objective manner and I see corruption, coercion, and an uncaring attitude for anything that would hold teachers and adminstrators accountable. It's a good gig if you can hold on to it but I say it's over. You have 7% of the workforce in public unions holding the other 93% hostage with 3 TRILLION in unfunded pension benefits and they won't give an inch.
snapshot
Sun, Sep 30, 2012 : 4:25 a.m.
Greg read truthisfree and get the real take. And yeah, I think secret union contract negotiations with politicians and staff that receive campaign dollars and support should be "voided and revisited" without court involvement. All these constitutional amendments to protect incompetent and uncompromising union affiliations is NOT democracy. It is a mockery of democracy.
thankfulmom132
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 12:55 p.m.
greg,too, Are you suggesting we continue to put the adults needs before the students? Should we be guilted into continuing to support a system that has clearly failed it's purpose which is to educate the students? Who is looking out for and protecting the student's rights to receive an education? Are you a spokesperson for Proposal 2 ? The "Protect our Jobs" at all costs ,even if we fail to be effective at the job we are being paid for proposal?
greg, too
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 4:50 a.m.
So it has nothing to do with decreasing tax bases, parents not being as involved in their children's educations, increase pressure on teacher to teach to test and not to learning, maybe the allure of shiny new buildings without any actual track record of success, possibly potential white flight (never happened here before, why now) to avoid the increasing amount of minority students in public schools, or anything like that? Gar, it is purely old evil unions, right? I am a pretty anti-union guy, but that just seems over simplistic. So you must be pro EM in the Ypsi and WR school districts? That would kill off all of these contracts, get rid of the benefits for retired and current teachers (which will be lost in the event of the merger anyway), as well as fire most of the administrators. That does seem to be exactly what you want, is that not correct? Then, after they go nuclear on the ed system, we should let them into the city, township, and other governments so that we can finally rid the state of the scourge of these evil unions that are destroying our fine state (and also made it, but who's counting?)? Are we reading your comment correctly? It's not like that would possibly push qualified teachers and other professionals out a state that so badly needs them, right? People would love to stay here and be belittled by people like you and take pay cuts for the greater good instead of taking higher wages elsewhere....
snoopdog
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 2:55 a.m.
The loss in students is because of parents pulling kids out of Ypsi because of a merger with Willow Run ? Is this for real ? You have got to be kidding us. Both of these school districts have been "losing" students at alarming rates since the late 1970's. Cannot blame only the teachers or admin. This also involves the parents of the students but the bottom line is you cannot run school districts in the red. You can merge Willow Run and Ypsi but they are doomed to fail , they both are broken and have no new ideas. Streamline everything, get rid of the unions, allow business folks to come in and teach business classes, etc. Good Day
Angry Moderate
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 5:25 p.m.
greg - as a matter of fact, Bill Gates' schools for math and science are a huge success. That's why unions hate him.
greg, too
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 4:17 a.m.
You had me until ...."Streamline everything, get rid of the unions, allow business folks to come in and teach business classes, etc. " Eh? So everything in education would be fixed if we brought in "business folks to come in and teach business classes?" Who knew it was so simple? Bring in Donald Trump and Bill Gates and we can lick this education problem ASAP.
ussubmariner
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 1:24 a.m.
How is it that all these school districts that are failing were once the best districts to be found ? What's changed so much in the past 35 years. Is it the teachers, the union, the parents, the lack of parents, school of choice or is it the dreaded race card? Help me with this, please explain.
pseudo
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 6:33 p.m.
Just looked up the demographics... Ypsi High School is 66% African American and 29% White. Ypsi City: 29% African American and 60% White Ypsi Township: 33% African American and 58% White I don't know of a way to look up class demographics but I bet its very similar to the race demographics.
pseudo
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 11:44 a.m.
first - ypsi hasn't been a first class school district for generations. a really long time - long before the charters arrived. I knew people pulling their kids because the environment there in the 80s. what has changed? white and/or mIddle class folks have been pulling their kids for all this time - more and more. the school population is far more black and far poorer than the community as a whole. and apparently, when it looks like that will be made worse by merging with Willow Run, 300 more families made the same decision is short order.
greg, too
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 3:09 a.m.
School of choice, followed by subpar students replacing the top students (of all races), followed by a lack of parental assistance. Some school districts are still doing bang up jobs because they are coupling their wealthy or well of students with the best that the areas around them have to offer. Kinda like have academic ringers...
treetowncartel
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 2:09 a.m.
Lyndon Johnson?
pseudo
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 12:40 a.m.
well, it appears that we didn't have to wait for November for that vote after all. Wow
Macabre Sunset
Wed, Sep 26, 2012 : 11:53 p.m.
Just remember: with the MEA, it's all about the kids - except if the kids get in the way of a good ol' union fleecing of the taxpayers. These schools have failed. Do we continue to sacrifice our children to the altar of corrupt collective bargaining and government, or do we allow private companies to pick up the slack? It's their future at stake, not mine.
Chase Ingersoll
Wed, Sep 26, 2012 : 10:28 p.m.
I can chose to abort my child and have the government, or in Obamas legislation I can chose to have the child left to die, if born alive, but as for choosing to send my child to a classroom, other than one run by the union, I still have to pay the taxes to support as school that doesn't work even while I pay private tuition. And foobar417, the founding fathers supported "public education" via private and religious supported schools, not schools funded on property and income taxes and run by labor unions.
Heather
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 1:05 p.m.
I have no children, Chase, but I still pay taxes that support public schools. I am glad to pay school taxes. My house values are higher because those schools exist in my neighborhood. My community is better because those children are being educated. If you make the decision to pay for private tuition for your children, that is your choice, but you still benefit from having good public schools in your community.
greg, too
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 3:06 a.m.
Huh? There are so many problems with this, I cannot begin to start. In the time of the founding fathers, education wasn't an option...well unless you mean an education in the fields. Universities and higher education were local issues, kept with the city borders. If you lived in Chicago, your kids got to go to U of C. In Ann Arbor, UMich, etc. There weren't educational options outside of parochial schools. And they were all funded on local tax money. Chase, you could not possibly be any farther from the truth, even if you added aliens and time machines.
snoopdog
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 2:57 a.m.
Great post Chase ! Good Day
treetowncartel
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 2:08 a.m.
Uhm, school, public or not was not on the founding father's radar screen. States providing education didn't come to fruition until after the civil war. Boot straps and pulling then up wwere contemplated around the same time.
arborarmy
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 12:31 a.m.
You've apparently not heard of the Ordinance of 1785?
Basic Bob
Wed, Sep 26, 2012 : 9:06 p.m.
What's wrong with all the people in Ypsi pulling their kids out to attend charters? Don't they know the MEA has their backs? I didn't think there were that many Republicans left in YSD.
Get over it
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 3:01 a.m.
From high school not K- 8th
foobar417
Wed, Sep 26, 2012 : 8:40 p.m.
I understand why some folks support charter schools as a supplement to good public schools, but this just shows what happens to a district caught in a vicious cycle of poor results / charter schools picking off the more involved parents. Historically, public schools have worked because parents were invested in making their schools the best they can be. The introduction of charter schools can destroy a district, as a downward spiral becomes a stampede. What's going to happen to the YSD when the public system collapses and all that's left is a bunch of charter schools trying to maximize their profits? There's a reason our founding fathers supported public education.
greg, too
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 4:13 a.m.
Snapshot, did a union turn you away or were your advances jilted by a union member? Or maybe you are the reincarnation of J. Edgar. Hoover? You seem to harbor a good deal of hatred towards them. Please explain why you believe they are to blame...actually explain it, not just fire off comments.
snapshot
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 4:06 a.m.
the management and their catoring to union demands has already destroyed the the school district. charter schools are picking up the pieces. Get off your high horse. The district and the district employees have failed the children and the taxpayers. Go complain to your union leaders for destroying the district.
greg, too
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 3:01 a.m.
I have spoken to some prominent members of Ypsi, as well as others that are doing well financially. None of them will allow their children to set foot in an Ypsi school as a student. Until the school district stops hemorrhaging good students to other districts or charters and replacing them with underperforming students, this will continue. That being said, how do you tell a parent that they have to be the trailblazers on bringing a dead school district back, that their children will be in failing schools so that future kids might succeed. No parent will do that to their children. This is simply years and years of failures, at all levels, as well as the policies of school of choice and charters finally killing the district.
Get over it
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 3 a.m.
High school not K- 8th
pseudo
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 12:39 a.m.
sorry quick clarification: Ypsi's teachers a fine. Its NOT them at all.
pseudo
Wed, Sep 26, 2012 : 9:59 p.m.
Except that Ypsi parents have been pulling their kids from these schools and avoiding entering their kids in these schools for at least 25 years and the performance has been sinking for way longer than the charters. Are charters the cause or the symptom? I believe they are a symptom of a larger problem that we refuse to talk about. And, Ypsi's teachers are pretty darn good so I'm saying its them at all.
dotdash
Wed, Sep 26, 2012 : 9 p.m.
I agree with you completely, except that part about the founding fathers. Public education was the work of the 19th and 20th centuries. Before that, the rich were educated and the poor weren't.
bobslowson
Wed, Sep 26, 2012 : 8:28 p.m.
Governor Snyder...putting our public schools out of business...one student at a time
Angry Moderate
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 5:45 p.m.
Right, because Ypsilanti-Willow Run schools were doing great until 2010.
snapshot
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 4:04 a.m.
and deservingly so because they aren't doing the job they were hired to do because they can't get fired.
Get over it
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 2:57 a.m.
High school not K - 8th
Ron Granger
Wed, Sep 26, 2012 : 8:13 p.m.
Hmm. I think I'll start a for-profit charter school. If it can rake in $2.2 million by acccomodating just 300 students, that leaves $1.5 million for school expsenses after my $700K salary as CEO.
snapshot
Sun, Sep 30, 2012 : 4:45 a.m.
Greg to, they were "promised" those benefits in "secret" negotiations with politicians "bought and paid for". How dare they play the "morality" card when unions are rife with corruption, coercion and back door deals in conflict with the "public" good. or any good except for their own. that they continue to use the declining economy as an excuse for poor management and budgeting while "negotiating" wage and benefit increases is morally incomprhensible. that they seek to "justify" it is even more revolting.
Angry Moderate
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 5:22 p.m.
Greg - the problem is that baby boomers did NOT pay enough into their pensions. They massively under-funded them by billions and billions of dollars. Now they want the younger generation (who they constantly call "lazy" and "self-entitled") to pay for their defined-benefit retirement plans--a luxury that young workers will never have.
greg, too
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 4:11 a.m.
Damn unions. They screw everything up. I mean, before all of those baby boomers and greatest generations had the stones to retire, all was good. How dare they even think to take advantage of benefits that they were promised and paid into during their entire careers. How horrible, those career educators are monsters. Sheesh...(sarcastic response to Snapshot's post in case you missed it).
snapshot
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 4:02 a.m.
Ron, you're way out of line and your ignorance is shining through. In the Ypsi district with 85% oif revenue going to salaries, benefits, and pensions that's 1,870,000 withheld from the classroom.....the charter school provides more revenue dedicated to actually educating the students..,..but we know you don't want the facts....that would be "education" rather than profiting from students as a revenue source for unions.
Get over it
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 2:56 a.m.
They went to Milan, they said mostly high school