By Megan Decker
Staff Writer
VASSAR — After a lengthy discussion, the Vassar Board of Education voted to accept the proposal for shared services with Millington Community Schools during its regular meeting on Monday. The vote was contingent on a mutual agreement between the board and administration on the rate of stipends for various employees.
The board scheduled a special meeting that will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday in the high school media center.
The plan includes the sharing of a high school principal, counseling services, transportation services, technology services, social worker and a transfer of payroll services to the Tuscola Intermediate School District. The districts are currently sharing services of a superintendent and federal programs specialist and would continue to do so next year under the proposed plan. Also included in the plan, is a transfer of the kindergarten classrooms from Townsend North Elementary School to Central Elementary School. The actual savings to the Vassar district are $296,809.
The Millington board of education voted on the plan during its Feb. 26 board meeting.
“What people need to understand is that this is not a consolidation of districts,” said joint superintendent Thomas Palmer. “Vassar is not going to become Millington and Millington is not going to become Vassar.
“In order for a district consolidation to occur it would need a vote of the people, and that is not happening.”
The idea to share services between the two districts occurred late last year. Each district is faced with cutting approximately $600,000 from its budget next year. The shared services plan will save approximately $300,000 for each district.
“The bottom line is that we have to keep the doors open. I don’t see any other alternative,” said board secretary Russell Hubbard. “We’ve put hours and hours into this plan.”
After hearing several complaints from the audience regarding additional costs to the district board members agreed to further discuss the payment of stipends to various employees directly involved with the shared services plan.
“We needed to think of an outside of the box solution,” added board vice-president Ben Guile. “This structure doesn’t seem to be the rub. What seems to be the rub is that a segment of employees are getting a raise while others are getting laid off. I think it’s in our best interest to continue to look at the stipends.”
“We know that if we don’t save this money then we’ll be out of business,” added board treasurer Kirk Vanwormer. “We’re going to try this for a year and continue to look at ways to save the district additional money.”
The next regular meeting of the Vassar Public Schools will be held at 6:30 p.m. on April 21 at the Vassar High School media center.