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VOL. 19, NO. 4

Combined $12-million debt could have little effect on unied district

Danny Shaw
Heritage Media

With less than six months before the school districts merge, how does Ypsilanti and Willow Runs combined debt of nearly $12 million affect the upcoming new district? The combined deficit made of Ypsilantis $9.1 million and Willow Runs $2.88 million doesnt mean the new district will be faced with a $12 million shortfall come its July 1 start date, said Dedrick Martin, Ypsilanti superintendent. During its regular meeting Monday, the Ypsilanti-Willow Run school board passed both districts plans to help eliminate a nearly $12 million combined deficit. While district administrators are awaiting what the time frame will be from the state to pay back the districts debt, Martin said it could be spread across 10 to 15 years. Typically a school district operating in a structural deficit has two years to balance its budget. What that means is, essentially, instead of cutting about $10 million out of the budget in a few years, we would then have payments spread across multiple years, Martin said. Unlike previous years, we probably would be going through even deeper cuts in the middle of the

year because we would have to pay back within two years. Deficit elimination plans are typically passed this time of year and in Ypsilanti and Willow Runs case, it will be the last DEP passed considering the districts will cease to exist on July 1. I think the big difference (compared to previous years) is this DEP has finality, Martin said. A DEP is never done until you pay off the existing debt but because were merging into two entities, this process is really signaling to the state what we anticipate the final (financial) obligation to be. According to Willow Runs DEP, the districts 2012-2013 finances are actually estimated to be in the green by $12,487, but the lingering cumulative deficit of $2.88 million slumps the districts deficit to $2.87 million. Ypsilantis financial situation also turned around in the 12-13 year. While not making it quite into the green, its operating budget has an estimated shortfall of about $90,000, which is a far cry from the six-digit figures the district has posted in the past. According to the DEPs narrative section provided by district officials, Ypsilanti has reduced its expenditures by more than $7 million in the last 12 months. All of those savings havent been without

major sacrifices, Martin said. Along with a 10-percent wage concession from all bargaining groups, layoffs have been commonplace throughout the district over the last two years. Most recently Ypsilanti laid off 4.5 teaching positions as part of the newest budget amendment. We made a few mid-year corrections to adjust for reduced student enrollment at the start of the year so were comfortable with those numbers, Martin said, referring to the almost $2-million loss of state per-pupil revenue. Weve been looking at the budget literally line-by-line since December 2011 To better assist with the financial transformation from two districts into one, the Board voted to add an ad-hoc committee of board members. The financial committee will consist of Board President David Bates, Trustee Greg Myers and Trustee Anthony VanDerworp. VanDerworp, new to the school board, has worked with large-budget finances as a community planner, city manager and an economic developer. Danny is a staff writer for the Ypsilanti Courier. He can be reached at dshaw@heritage.com, or 734-429-7380 or on Twitter @ShawEduReporter.

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Murder suspect worked at EMU

Ben Baird
Heritage Media

The Ypsilanti Courier is looking for Community Bloggers!

If you live in the greater Ypsilanti area and are interested in writing about local events, news and views or even your own interests and hobbies, please contact Erica McClain at emcclain@heritage.com

The Ypsilanti Courier has learned Jean Pierre Trias, the 44-year-old man accused of murdering his wife in Pittsfield Township, taught math part time for Eastern Michigan University. He was scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary examination Tuesday, Jan. 22, on an open murder charge. Police say it appears his wife, 53-year-old Katherine Kellogg Porter, died from multiple stab wounds. Trias taught math classes as a part-time lecturer off and on between Sept. 1, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2012, according to an EMU spokesman. He was not a professor or an EMU employee and wasnt teaching anything this spring semester, but he did teach during the last fall semester. He previously held the part-time position of coordinator of mathematics, tutoring and testing services for EMU from Aug. 30, 2004, to Jan. 15, 2011, according to the university. Porter was found dead by

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Photo by Danny Shaw

Kids celebrate Civil Rights movement

Danny Shaw
Heritage Media

Jalen Smith portrays Martin Luther King, Jr. at Fortis Academy on Friday.

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Editorial Classifieds Sports Page 4-A Page 3-B Page 1-C

Fourth-graders at Ypsilantis Fortis Academy demonstrated they know the importance of equality as they re-enacted one of the most pivotal moments in the crusade for black civil rights. The students, who helped to write their own lines and put together their own costumes, performed Friday the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott which was sparked by a then-unassuming seamstress by the name of Rosa Parks. As the students sat one-by-one on PLEASE SEE TRIAS/3-A the bus made of classroom chairs,

Leila Scott took her place, just as Parks did nearly 60 years ago, in the front of the bus. But as student Chakayla Jackson explained, the re-enactments narrator, thats a part of the bus reserved only for white people. Even the law was on the side of prejudice, she told the audience. Maybe its time we had a law that treated people fairly, Leila said in her best Parks impression. Even Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made in appearance, as portrayed by fourth-grader Jalen Smith, complete with a 50s-style outfit. There comes a time when people get tired of being trampled, Jalen

said, quoting Kings address to the Montgomery Improvement Association, to his fellow classmates who were holding up signs containing messages against hate and racism. The class re-enacted the historical scene for the schools second, third, fourth and fifth grade students as well as the schools principal, Ira Kleiman, and parents. It brings a tear to my eye every time I see something for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day that theres all these kids of different races sitting here together, said Barb Potter, a Fortis Academy parent.
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