Tagged: lansing school district

Update 2:17 p.m.

“The Superintendent is receiving calls from arts groups all over the state saying, ‘Why are you cutting the arts?’” says district spokesman Bob Kolt. “But it’s just not true…we’re contracting out those services to community artists.”

Kolt says the district will bring in about 10-20 “contractors” to help elementary classroom teachers with art, music and gym instruction.

The Lansing School District has reached a tentative contract agreement with its teachers union.

No details have been released. So it’s unclear whether the deal includes a provision to get around Michigan’s new Right to Work law. 

Lansing teachers’ tentative agreement comes at a time when other unions are racing to put contract extensions into place before Michigan’s new Right to Work law takes effect.

A handful of school districts and Wayne State University have signed extended contracts that would allow the unions to continue to enforce mandatory dues collection. 

The Lansing school district will launch a multi-faceted plan this fall to improve student academic performance.  The plan is about more than just teaching.

The Lansing school board voted Thursday night to give the district’s superintendent two weeks notice.

Dr. T.C. Wallace has been the capitol city’s school superintendent since 2007.  

He agreed last year to leave the district at the end of this academic year. 

But the school board decided to speed up Wallace’s departure.  

The district is facing major restructuring questions  and an estimated budget deficit that could be as high as 20 million dollars.

Lansing schools will undergo a major overhaul during the next two years, if a plan released last night is eventually adopted.  

The plan calls for closing three elementary schools and one high school during the next two years. Twenty other schools would also see major changes.  

Brian Ralph is the district’s COO. He says the plan would save two million dollars over the next two years. Ralph chastised those who suggest closing schools will help the district close its estimated $20 million deficit.  

“If we’re going to sit here today and say we got to close schools to balance the budget…we got to close everything down in Lansing," says Ralph.

District officials concede closing or changing schools is an emotional issue. Guillermo Lopez is a school board member. He says it will be important to put emotional connections aside. 

"Let us no waste a lot of time…fighting for something that is….not the best for our students," says Lopez. The school board plans to hold several community meetings over the coming months to get input on the plan. Key decisions may not come until August.