Welcome to all of our new friends

HELLO FRIENDS

Many people have been asking what is happening in the Pontiac School District (PSD.)  The short answer is:  nothing good.  PSD continues its pattern of mismanagement and misstatements.  They have again placed bond requests on the ballot on March 8^th.  This time, they are seeking 2.87 mills from residences and 18 mills from “non-primary residence exemption” properties.  You may recall that two Pontiac bond requests were denied by voters last year. 

We are writing to ask for your support for a non-profit organization of citizens in the district called Communities Acting for Responsible Education (C.A.R.E.) The group was formed to promote transparency, be a watchdog, and act as both a fact finder and a source for information for residents in the district.  (More information on the group can be found at carepsd.blogspot.com.)  

C.A.R.E. opposes the bond requests and seeks complete reorganization of the district because:  

·        PSD consistently fails academically.  According to statistics on the state’s education website, PSD is the poorest performing district in Michigan. Our high school ranks last in the state and no PSD schools are above the 8^th percentile. Reports of progress in the district are pure fiction.  See details on: mich.gov/mde (Click on Student Assessment: Top-To-Bottom School Rankings) 

·        Enrollment has plummeted yet PSD has highest revenue per pupil.  Enrollment has dropped 57% in a decade. The current drop-out rate is over 22%. Out of approximately 11,000 students who live in the district, only 4,400 attend PSD.  Yet PSD has the highest total revenue per pupil among the 28 school districts in Oakland County.  See details on: oakland.k12.mi.us (Click on About Us: Publications: Summaries & Surveys​) 

·        The Pontiac School Board is incompetent. Secret and illegal meetings, embezzlement, fraud, and misappropriation of teacher healthcare funds: that’s business as usual in PSD. Taxpayers (YOU!) were forced to pay a $7.8 million special assessment in 2013 to repay the healthcare fund. See details on: www.fbi.gov (4/17/13) and theoaklandpress.com (7/10/13) 

·        Poor money management put PSD in this situation. In 2013 Michigan Treasury and Oakland Schools took over PSD due to the $51.7 million deficit. After receiving $27.8 million from a special assessment and two loans, PSD now brags that the deficit is down to $33 million. Their math doesn’t add up….they actually seem to have more debt now than they did before they took out two huge loans from the state and slapped us with that special assessment in 2013. See details on: www.mackinac.org/18978 and freep.com (1/2/2016) 

·        PSD should have maintained and sold properties. Recently PSD sold property for about $5 million and retired a $55 million bond. A share of that money should have been used to maintain and repair facilities all along. If buildings had been sold when vacated in 2009, PSD would have realized millions and avoided expensive maintenance on empty properties. See details on: macombdaily.com (2/26/15)

·        Voters rejected bonds twice last year. PSD spent $75,000 to put their proposal on the last ballot, just 3 months after another was rejected. Every dollar spent seeking these bonds comes out of your classrooms. See details on: carepsd.blogspot.com

How can you help C.A.R.E.? 

1.      Please vote no on March 8^th on both bond requests.   The vote was close last time in part because the six outlying communities didn’t turn out to vote.  Absentee ballots are available now by contacting your local Clerk.  

2.      We need monetary donations to offset the cost of a postcard we are sending to all voters.  We are requesting that residents donate $50 and business owners donate $100.  If you are able to contribute, please mail your check as soon as possible to Communities Acting for Responsible Education, P. O. Box 492, Keego Harbor, MI 48320-9998 or leave it in my mailbox. 

3.      We will be placing “Vote No” signs shortly.  Please let us know if you can assist with placing signs, also. 

4.      Please pass this information along to others you know within the district. Also let us know if you wish to take an active role in C.A.R.E.  Contact us at:  care4schools@gmail.com