Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By JAN TUCKER
Ontonagon — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s recent line item vetoes to the state budget will impact the Ontonagon Area School District, Ontonagon Superintendent Jim Bobula told the Ontonagon Board of Education Monday.
Bobula said the cuts will hit the district’s budget to the tune of $30,425. He said there are other schools which are getting hit harder, “but it is a big cut for a small school.”
He detailed some of the cuts from the state budget, which included technology and at-risk children education, among other items. Bobula struck a positive note, adding, that hopefully, the governor and legislature can come together on a compromise for additional funding.
The board also learned the school district is “holding its own” with enrollment. Bobula reported the October 2018 count was 270 students. In February 2019 it was 265 but in October 2019, the number had risen to 271. The board had budgeted for 265.
Bobula informed the board that students will be on a manufacturing tour Wednesday, which will include visits to Jacquart’s, Extreme Tooling and Ironwood Plastics.
In addition to Ontonagon, students from Bessemer, Hurley, Ironwood and Wakefield-Marenisco will be on the tour.
One board member asked what it would take to bring the building trades class back to the school. The superintendent answered it would take someone with a degree, and additional finances.
He said Ontonagon had an automotive class but when the state came down with rules mandating schools require students to take a college-ready curriculum, many electives went out the window. He added now the pendulum is swinging the opposite way but the state does not offer the U.P. much financial assistance to do it.
Bobula also reported students of the district made gains on the state standardized tests, noting they have improved in almost every category.
The board approved revised administrative contracts for Bobula as superintendent-principal, for Linda Karttunen as business services manager and transportation and food services director, and for Bob Clark, as building and grounds supervisor. Bobula explained the administrative contracts had been postponed until the teachers and support contracts were completed.
In other action, the board:
—Accepted the bid of Norman Pestka for snow removal at $16,000.
—Approved the 2019-2020 Career Technical Education Contract.
—Acknowledged the agreement between the Ontonagon Area School District and Baraga Area Schools for a cooperative program for girls softball in the spring of 2020.
