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Contrary to earlier estimates, Houghton-Portage Township School District is now expecting more students for the 2021-22 school year. Superintendent Doreen Kramer made the announcement at Monday’s Board of Education meeting.
If the prediction holds, it helps shed some light on which districts will be most affected by the new Copper Island Academy. The charter school is expecting to begin the fall with its maximum allowable enrollment of nearly 350 students in grades K-8. Per student funding is increasing by over $500, and the board had a very preliminary discussion about programs will best optimize the newly available money.
Public comment came from long-time high school mathematics teacher Diana Hocking. She spoke against the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 recommendations for the upcoming year. The district has already said it will make masks optional, but Hocking said the issues of testing and quarantining are still unresolved.
She says students deserve normalcy, like what is being allowed for the overall community.
Hocking says she had to watch a family member go from being an honors student to failing as he languished under virtual learning.
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Hancock also had a board meeting Monday. It approved Jennifer Smith’s organization of a trip to France for students. Fundraisers are being planned and Smith has already applied for a matching grant from the Hancock Schools Foundation, of up to $8,000. The trip will likely cost $10,000 to $15,000 in total. The excursion will focus on French culture, language, cuisine and more.
Superintendent Steve Patchin is set to begin negotiations with Lamers Transportation this week on behalf of the school board. The new contract will likely come with a two percent cost increase. Superintendent Patchin intends to negotiate for an increase in technology on buses that will help to keep students and parents’ minds at ease. Patchin wants cameras on board and GPS tracking. It will allow students and parents to look on an app to see how far away the bus is from the stop. School administrators would be able to have a better idea when buses are delayed due to weather, especially in the wintertime.
