Monday, August 21, 2017

Back to School 2017

August is a unique time of year.  On one hand the "summer" is winding down and with that, there is always some sadness.  However, on the other hand, there are still some fun family time and vacations planned. Lastly, it is filled with the excitement of school clothes shopping, seeing friends and classmates, and of course all of the outstanding learning opportunities that come with a new school year.  For educators, it is the opportunity to get back to doing what we love and that is working with and educating our children. Although for many, students and staff alike, the alarm clock starts going off at what seems like an impossibly early time, this is one of the best times of the year.  As with any school year we assuredly will experience many high and lows, conflicts, and struggles, however, as long as we face them with an open-mind, respect for all involved, and as a team, there is nothing that we will not overcome.   WE ARE VESTABURG!

This past year the district was able to improve our school safety through the generous donations of our community.  In just over a month, we were able to raise over $20,000 and as a result, we installed a "Boot" barricade in every classroom.  This made us the first school in the area and one of the first in the state to do this.  This year, in an effort to continue to increase student safety, we are implementing several new safety features including, a Bluetooth notification system, new reflective placards, and a protective device called the "Sheild" for glassed areas.  We are able to do this through a new lighting project that includes updating and improving our lighting to LED lights and with the energy savings we will be able to pay for the security updates without impacting our general fund budget.    In doing this, we became only the second school in the state of Michigan to implement this program, further demonstrating our commitment to protecting our students.

Furthermore, we will be continuing to expand our one to one technology initiative that will include each student in the middle and high school being assigned a Chromebook for the year.  We are continuing to expand our service to at-risk students through our virtual program throughout the state of Michigan. In addition, we are looking forward to a new and improved food service program, new foreign language classes, and many other curricular and extra-curricular updates and improvements.

Lastly, it is a goal of all levels of our school district to invite and participate in meaningful two-way collaboration and communications with all of our stakeholders including, students, parents, staff, and community members and organizations.  Some of you may have heard me say our school is our community and our community is our school.  I truly believe that we need to be a strong team and to support each other in order for both the community and the school to grow and thrive.  Neither one can maximize its potential without the other.  Thus, we will continue to seek input from all and to look for ways to increase opportunities for input and collaboration.

So, here is to a great school year!  I look forward to working with everyone and to watching our school continue to grow.  WE ARE VESTABURG!

Brandon Hubbard
Superintendent


Thursday, August 3, 2017

Millage Letter

I sent this out this last spring, however, with the vote quickly approaching I thought I would post it again. Please feel free to share. Hope everyone is having a great Summer and see you at the start of school.


Dear Parent(s) and Community Member(s),

On behalf of the Vestaburg Board of Education, I am writing to inform you of a couple of upcoming millage proposals.  As a result of the 2009 bond, we were able to update and add to many of our facilities which have allowed us to provide a richer educational experience for our students.   As part of our responsibility to our students and our community, the district is committed to being good stewards of the resources we have been so generously provided.  As such, it is important that we are able to continue addressing our facility needs.As many of you are aware, school funding is always an issue.  What you may or may not know is that not every district is funded at the same level.  In addition, not all communities are blessed with the same level of resources such as taxable values.  In other words, some schools are funded at a higher per student rate than others and what is generated through taxes is not the same from community to community depending on the size and structure of the district. It is with this in mind that on August 8, 2017, voters in the Vestaburg Community School district will be asked to vote on two different millage proposals.  

The first proposal is to renew the current millage levied on the non-homestead property (industrial, commercial, business, rental, and second homes). The current millage is set to expire on December 31, 2017. This proposal does not affect the taxes of owner-occupied primary residences – for homeowners, an approval will cost you nothing!  However, if it is not renewed, it would result in a loss of approximately $431,728 of funding per year or approximately $744 per student that would not be replaced.

The other proposal is for a Sinking Fund.  A sinking fund millage is a limited property tax to fund major repairs and renovations to school facilities including, school security improvements, and instructional technology. The tax is levied each year and the revenue generated is used to address the most urgent building and site improvements identified by a school district. Sinking fund uses are limited by law to the construction or repair of school buildings, school security improvements, and acquisition or upgrading of instructional technology.   The ballot will be asking for 3 mills for 10 years.  This would be an increase of $3.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation.  If approved, the millage would generate approximately $265,391 annually. This proposal comes as the result of three years of hard work by the Board of Education and staff creating a long term strategic plan identifying current and future needs of district facilities.  

One of the primary needs to be addressed in the plan is the school building’s roof.  While some of it was upgraded in the 2009 bond and renovation, most areas are beyond their life expectancy and are in need of repair and/or replacement. Furthermore, even the updated sections were done so with ten to fifteen-year roof systems and will be coming off warranty and will need to be updated in the next five to ten years. After cost analysis and due to the cost of replacing and/or updating the roof, the plan calls for the roof to be addressed by sections over the next ten years with a roof that will last the next thirty to forty years. Furthermore, a cost analysis A cost analysis estimated that by installing a 30-year roof versus other options such as 15 year systems, the district would save approximately 1.2 million dollars over the next 30 years. In addition to the roof, there are many other needs identified in the plan that will continue to enhance the student’s learning experience including, but not limited to security upgrades, student instructional technology, parking lot repairs, bathroom repairs, classroom updates, and track repairs. 

All registered voters in the Vestaburg School District will vote at the Richland Township Hall on August 8th. In addition, if anyone has any questions or has a group to whom they would like information presented, please contact Central Office at 989-268-5353, and we will be glad to answer your questions and/or set up a time to meet. Your feedback and questions are welcome and appreciated.