By By JESSICA SIEFF / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Details surrounding the annual budget hearing during the Niles Community Schools Board of Education meeting Monday night, showed evidence of the school's need to conform to a suffering economy and a shrinking student population.
Superintendent Doug Law said Tuesday that "we are being very conservative" due to an expected and estimated loss of 75 students in the coming year.
"This year we had a net loss of about 42 kids," within the school system, Law said. That number was higher than officials had originally projected. And Law added that 80 students alone were lost from elementary schools.
Where are the students going?
"Almost 95 percent of them moved out of state," Law said.
The nation's economy may be dismal enough – but Michigan has been struggling with its own problems as well. The location of Niles so close to the Indiana state line -may be making it easier for families to move to areas with better job and quality of life opportunities and that means a lot of children changing schools.
The board is estimating just over $35.2 million in total revenue, with a decrease in state funding of over $392,000. As for its expenditures, that total estimate, the board heard Monday, would come to just over $35.7 million dollars – a half a million-dollar deficit remaining.
The school system saved a considerable amount of money due to buyouts and privatization. Over $389,000 was saved in instruction expenses due to recent buyouts and only $12,000 was spent on 'capital outlay,' which Law explained as being the bus services that were recently privatized. That number is down from $169,700 last year.
Of course, Law said, that deficit will be ironed out by the end of the year. The budget is estimated based on projections that could will be amended closer to the fall once actual funding is received.
At the June 16 meeting, board members are scheduled to put the plan up for adoption.
Also at the meeting Monday night, Yvonne Davis who has been the assistant principal for Benton Harbor Schools and a former behavior specialist with Niles Community Schools was announced as the new assistant principal at Ring Lardner. Wayne Borr who has been the current assistant principal at the school will take a position with Niles High School as co-op coordinator and vocational director.