Transparency in our schools comes at a price $$$

Were some Board members aware that we would be losing 1000 kids within 5 years BEFORE they asked us to approve $56 Million on buildings that are now questionable whether we will be able to fill them?

 According to Board Trustee Mike Nolan at the September 6th meeting, this might be the case.

Complete Board video available at www.lapeerschools.org

At the September 6th meeting of the Lapeer Community Schools Board of Education (video clip above), the Board and Superintendent adopted some very positive changes. These changes will see that any future student enrollment projections are included into the budget process. This means that they will be brought into the public discussion. This is important because to this point, that was not the case, or so we were told.

After the new policy was announced, Mr. Nolan stated that these student projections were "Not new information" to the Board. Having emailed Mr. Nolan for more information but with no response, I sent a Freedom of Information request to the district to find out when, as per Mr. Nolan's statement, our Board was made aware of these projections. Had they in fact seen these enrollment projections BEFORE we were asked to vote on a Bond measure for $56 Million and not share these possible numbers with the public? Maybe they knew later in 2010 when millions were spent on now closed elementary buildings?

This is be very valuable information to our district, as I have been notified that it will cost $200 dollars to find out just when our elected Board members were given the information that our current Superintendent is now using to re-structure our district. It will cost $200.00 to find out if our Board was given the same information that our district had in Dec. of 2006 when these numbers were acquired by our district. Shouldn't those we elect be willing to answer a couple simple questions? Please take a look and you decide.

District Reponse to FOIA on Nolan Statement

 Is it wrong to expect a transparency of not only our District, but those who serve on the Board? I surely hope that our district is not now in the business of "selling" transparency, but it would seem otherwise.   Wm. Gavette - LCS Board Candidate