Superintendent’s Update

Dear Charlevoix Parents,

I want to take this opportunity to update you on the upcoming bond election that will be held on Tuesday, May 6, 2008. The sole purpose of this election request is to allow the school district to convert the sinking fund millage, which has been in existence since 1998 and is currently at 0.86 mills, to a bond millage for seven years at a net rate of 0.55 mills. The objective is to secure $5.9 million to address overdue building repairs, energy retrofits, technology upgrades and the purchase of school buses.

As background information, in 1998, the voters in Charlevoix approved a 1.0 mill sinking fund for 5 years. In 2003, the voters renewed the sinking fund for 6 years at a rate of 0.9 mills. Due to the Headlee rollback provision, the current rate is 0.86 mills. Unfortunately, current Michigan Law does not allow sinking funds to be used for the purchase of buses and technology but does allow those expenditures from a successful bond referendum. The majority of our buses were purchased in the 1990’s and have high mileage and approximately 2/3rds of our computers are six to eight years old. The building renovation projects will focus on elementary and middle school buildings that have structural needs and significant energy retrofitting projects which will reduce energy costs by over $100,000 per year.

In the near future, each home in the area will receive a brochure, which will explain in more detail the specific projects that will be completed with the bond as well as a list of projects that were financed from the previous sinking fund. The information will also be available on the school’s website at www.rayder.net.

Please take the time to review this question and answer brochure when it arrives in your mailbox and hopefully you’ll find it informative. If I can be of further assistance in answering any questions and/or issues that you may have about the proposed bond election, please feel free to contact me directly at 547-3204 or cjanik@rayder.net.

Sincerely,


Chet Janik
Superintendent

Superintendent’s Update

Dear Parents,

With the New Year upon us and the school year at the halfway point, I thought this would be a good time to provide an update on some educationally related issues.

Recently there have been numerous media reports about the State of Michigan grades for high schools. These scores are based on many factors, but largely on how eleventh grade students did on the MME (Michigan Merit Exam) given last March. The largest part of the MME is the ACT (American College Test).

Understanding the school progress and the test scores is not easy task. In an attempt to clarify this for the public, the state gives grades to all schools based on the test scores and other factors that they are required to consider because of the federal 'No Child Left Behind' law (NCLB). Charlevoix High School received an overall grade of "B" and made "Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)."

Adequate Yearly Progress is computed in a very complicated manner using previous year's scores and ever-increasing target scores in each core academic area. Making AYP really entails three challenges: First, a school must show progress in all areas tested by the MME (ACT plus state-written tests). Secondly, sub-groups must make progress equal to the general population. These sub-groups are special education, economically disadvantaged students and/or racial/ethnic minorities. Thirdly, all sub-groups must have 95 percent of students take the test.

The strategic planning process began in November with over forty people volunteering to serve on the committee that will develop a long-term vision for the school district. We will continue to meet on a monthly basis for the next several months, to hopefully complete the process and issue a report in the spring.

During the past several weeks, I had the privilege of attending the performing arts production, various Christmas musical concerts and numerous sporting events. I am truly impressed by all of the students and teachers‘commitment to extra-curricular activities as well as the support given to these events by the parents and community. I have also enjoyed the opportunity to meet many of you at these activities. This truly is a special school district and community.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about Charlevoix Public Schools or if I can be of any assistance.

Go Rayders!!!

Chet Janik

Superintendent’s Update

The changing of the leaves and the drop in temperature recently are sure signs that the new school year is in full gear. It won’t be long and the students will be looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. It has been an exciting several months for me and I want to take this opportunity to share some recent developments.

I’m pleased to inform you that the Charlevoix students once again did well on the ACT test. The test consists of curriculum-based educational development in English, mathematics, reading and science. Our high school students’ results were above the State of Michigan average in every category. Listed below are the results:

Subject	Charlevoix Students Average Score	State Average Score
English	22.9	20.7
Mathematics	23.3	21.3
Reading	22.6	21.8
Science	22.6	21.7
Composite Score	23.0	21.5

The strategic planning process has started with the surveying of the faculty, staff and parents. Thank you to the approximately one hundred people who took the time to complete the survey and the forty people who have graciously agreed to serve on the long-term planning committee. The survey results are currently being compiled and will be shared with the committee members, parents and community in November.

A new alumni website is now available for past graduates to reunite with old classmates, share e-mails and plan class reunions. Although the site has no direct association with the school district, we have provided a link from the District home page (www.rayder.net) to make it easily accessible to all. Please check it out and tell all of your fellow alumni friends .

The Board of Education voted unanimously at the October 8 meeting to approve the construction of a new administration and bus maintenance garage. These projects are funded through the sinking fund millage approved in 1998 and renewed in 2003. It is important that everyone in the community understands that these funds can only lawfully be used for building and improvement projects. We cannot use a penny of that for operational costs. The administration building will be located on the northwest corner of the Middle School property and a new bus garage and wash facility on the current bus barn property located at 1021 May Street. The Board of Education looked at various options over the past several years and made the decision that an administration building would best serve the public in a central location and on property the district owns. The building located on Clinton Street was purchased in the early 1970s as a temporary home for the school district administration and it has structural issues. It does not meet current Americans with Disabilities codes and it needs some major renovations. It just didn't seem prudent to invest money in a building in such disrepair and, we're not purchasing property so that is saving the district money. A new bus garage facility will offer lifts for the mechanics and a place to wash buses -- studies show just washing buses can increase their life by seven years because of rust. Other recent projects completed with sinking funds include carpeting, roofing, landscaping, soffits, a gym floor and updates to the science rooms.

On a temporary basis, the administrative offices are located in the lower level of the Citizens Bank building located on the corner of Clinton and State Street. Please stop by if you are in the neighborhood.

Two very special support staff employees have decided to retire since the beginning of this academic year. Mike Pearsall was a maintenance person with the district for 34 years and is a walking encyclopedia when it came to Rayder history and trivia. He was also involved in every building project during that time period. Mike’s goal is to spend more time with his children and grandkids and to help senior citizens with their maintenance needs.

Joannie Carlson has been employed with the district since 1984 and retired in mid- October. She was the business manager’s secretary and was the “voice” of the district’s phone system. Many people have complemented her on her pleasant and cheerful personality when answering a call or personally greeting a parent. Joannie also plans to spend more time with her children and grand kids as well as travel south for the winter months. Both Mike and Joannie will be greatly missed!!!

It has truly been a pleasure to meet many of you during the past several months and I am honored to serve as your superintendent. Please feel free to contact me at anytime if you have any comments or questions or if I can be of any assistance.

Go Rayders,

Chet Janik
Superintendent

To the Charlevoix Public School District Residents

As your new Superintendent, I want to take this opportunity to communicate with you for several reasons. The first reason is to simply thank you for sending your children to the Charlevoix Public Schools. It’s an honor to have them here and our goal is to exceed your educational expectations.

I know that the principals, teachers and staff as well as the Board of Education are committed to providing a positive and learning environment. Please always feel welcome to share any thoughts, suggestions or concerns that you may have about the school with me. If I have not had the privilege of meeting you yet at school or any of the community related events, please always feel free to stop by the administrative offices and simply say, "HI," and share any thoughts, ideas, or concerns that you may have. Phone calls and e-mails are also welcomed.

One of my first priorities will be to seek your input on the future direction of the school district by developing a long-term strategic plan that will be a focal point in the decision making process for the next several years. The first step in achieving this is to solicit your thoughts and comments.

In the near future, every parent and guardian will receive a S.W.O.T survey form. It simply asks you to state your opinions on what you regard to be the district’s top Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Please take a few moments to share your perceptions in each of these areas as well as any comments that you may wish to list and then return it to my office. The form will also be available on-line. The results will be tabulated and will be used during the strategic planning process.

I am also looking for approximately 35 to 40 parents and community members that would be interested in serving on the strategic planning task force. This would require attending approximately one evening meeting per month for about four to five months to formulate the final plan that will include the school’s guiding principals, indicators of success, standards of excellence and strategies.

I have completed this type of a plan for four school districts and the only way that it works is to have honest and open feedback from the parents as well as the community. Your involvement would be appreciated.

A source of frustration for virtually every school district in Michigan is the state budget. It has been almost impossible to pick up a newspaper or listen to the radio without being swamped with depressing news about the state budget. Trying to prepare a realistic budget is almost impossible due to the fact that we do not know what the state’s allotment per student will be.

The Board of Education has been proactive the past several years anticipating challenging times and therefore we are reviewing all options when it comes to decreased revenues. Decisions will be based on what is best for the students.

Every effort is being made to maintain and to enhance the quality of education that is being provided to our students.

I want to close on a personal note and simply tell you how excited I am to be serving in this capacity and the key to the district’s success is open, honest and constructive dialog between all parties in the community. As I stated previously, please always feel free to contact me with your thoughts about the district and I truly look forward to working with all of you.

Again, I look forward to hearing from you. I can be reached at 547-3204, by email at cjanik@rayder.net, or at Central Office located at 208 W. Clinton Street.