Committee releases Recommendations For Benton Harbor Area Schools

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bhas2-18

The Benton Harbor Area Schools Community Engagement and Advisory Committee has released its list of recommendations for turning the district around. During a virtual meeting Tuesday, Michigan Deputy State Treasurer Joyce Parker read the state-created committee’s assessment of the district, which identified an average deficit of $14.7 million over the past ten years, a shortage of qualified teachers with classroom experience, the lowest teacher salaries in Berrien County, declining enrollment, and a graduation rate of 42%. Parker then laid out a long list of recommendations to turn all of that around, covering academics, facilities, and finances. Among them were the following:

A curriculum and instructional audit.
The hiring of a curriculum specialist.
A business office evaluation.
Consider bonding the district’s debt obligations through a voter millage once the district is stabilized.
Right size the facility footprint by eliminating unnecessary buildings.
Requesting forgiveness of outstanding emergency loans.
Hiring a project manager to oversee implementation of the plan.

The Power Point outlining all of the committee’s recommendations also included the cost for each item along with possible sources of funding. The cost for 2021 would be $3.8 million, and $2.6 million for 2022. In many cases, state funding for parts of the plan has been identified. Public comment on the committee’s plan will be taken online through April 11. The committee will review them on April 13. Final approval from the state and the local board of education is hoped by May 15. From there would begin the implementation process. Parker didn’t know how COVID-19 will factor into the school district’s turnaround.

You can find the committee’s full assessment of the district and its recommended operating plan right here.