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Proposal 5 letter to the Holland School Board

Dear School Board Members,

This fall we have an opportunity ensure that the students of Holland Public Schools are provided with funding levels that guarantee a quality education. Proposal 5 is an education ballot initiative that requires the state to provide annual funding increases at the rate of inflation to Holland Public Schools. Voting yes on this proposal means the resources needed to teach and the resources students need to learn will be available. You can’t afford to let this opportunity to properly fund education pass by. The children of Holland Public Schools deserve a properly funded education.

Again this year, as in many recent years, HPS is choosing to avert a funding crisis by cutting programs, freezing budgets, and maximizing class sizes. Now we have an opportunity to solve our recurrent funding problem. In recent conversations with central office staff, reservations were expressed about what might happen if the foundation grant is reduced after the November election. Passage of Proposal 5 will not allow legislators to play games with funding levels and shirk their responsibility to the children of Holland.

According to the financial data from district’s Three-Year Financial Plan dated May 16, 2006, Proposal 5 will increase HPS revenues and decrease required expenditures. For the 2007-08 school year, revenues, based on student enrollment, will increase by approximately $356,000 over district projections, and state required expenditures will decrease by approximately $790,000 less than district projections. Even greater revenue additions and expenditure savings will be realized each following year. These figures do not account for the declining enrollment averaging provision of Proposal 5, which will increase revenues additionally.

State law allows school boards to discuss the support of statewide ballot proposals at open meetings as well as adopt resolutions supporting such proposals. School boards across the state have publicly supported a “yes” vote on Proposal 5. Jenison, East Grand Rapids, Rockford, and Kenowa Hills are a few of the local districts that have publicly supported Proposal 5 by passing a board resolution. The Michigan Association of School Boards recently sent Superintendent Garcia a copy of the resolution, asking him and the school board to support it.

Don’t miss this opportunity to guarantee the children of Holland the necessary funding for a quality education. I strongly urge you to publicly support the passage of Proposal 5.

Sincerely,
The HEA

Holland EA 2005-2008 Contract Fact Sheet

Holland EA 2005-2008 Contract Fact Sheet

• 3 year agreement, retroactive to beginning of 2005-2006 school year.
• Step advancements each year
• Salary increases: 05-06 = 0.5%; 06-07 = 1%; 07-08 = 0.5% with possible increases based on state revenue and student enrollment that year.
• Insurance: MESSA Choices II PPO with a $10/20 mandatory generic drug card. Teachers pay $40/month towards the premium in 06-07 and $60/month beginning July 2007.
• Up to 12 hours of professional development can now be mandatory after the school day (from 4-7 p.m.). Previously, all PD was done during the teacher’s work day.
• Changes in start and end times for students and teachers were negotiated as a result of the district restructuring for the 06-07 school year. The district had initially refused to negotiate this issue with the HEA.
• Rollbacks in pay for veteran teachers who mentor probationary teachers.
• Rollbacks in overload pay for teachers who have class sizes beyond the contractual limits. (50% of the previous amounts)

News Release - Holland Teachers Ratify 3 Year Agreement

News Release

August 7, 2006

Subject: Holland Teachers Ratify 3 Year Agreement

Contact: Charles Bullard 616-494-2260

At a general membership meeting held this evening, the Holland Teachers voted to ratify a 3 year Agreement with the Holland Public Schools. The agreement is retroactive to the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year and will continue through the 2007-2008 school year.

After over a year of negotiations with the district making no movement towards reaching a settlement, the parties entered into two lengthy bargaining sessions on July 26 and 27. This resulted in a tentative agreement on all of the remaining outstanding issues. “After 14 months of not moving on their insurance position, the district finally agreed to compromise,” commented HEA president Charles Bullard. “As their financial situation, based on their 3 year projections kept getting better and better, I believe it was hard for them to continue to justify their position on salary and insurance.”

The board had recently petitioned for fact finding with a proposal that would have only guaranteed .5% of salary improvements over a 3 year period and a continuation of their illegally imposed health insurance plan. This new agreement guarantees step advancements, salary improvements each year, and a far superior comprehensive MESSA health plan that will actually cost less than the insurance plan they had imposed for the 2006-2007 school year.

The illegally imposed plan that was forced on the majority of the insured HEA members saw a first year rate increase of almost 12%. The MESSA rate increase for this year came in a 7.41%. “Obviously MESSA’s large pool rating made a difference when it comes to the stability of health costs for Holland Teachers,” commented Jon Toppen, HEA Chief Negotiator.

“Deep wounds have been made as a result of the negotiating agenda pursued by the district during this round of bargaining,” said Bullard. “Things have got to change,” he added. In the category of Basic Instructional Expenditures, the Holland teachers rank 20th out of the 23 districts statewide that are comparable in size. The Total Administrative Expenditures for Holland rank 4th out of 23 for those same comparable districts.

Summer 2006 Did you know #3?

Holland Public Fast Facts #3
Summer 2006

Tracking the Board’s History of Financial Lies

• In 1992, the Board’s 3 Year Financial Forecast predicted a depletion in savings of $850,715 through the 1994/1995 school year. In reality, their savings grew by $1,192,294.
o That’s an error of $2,043,009

• In 1994, the Board’s 3 Year Financial Forecast predicted a total 3-year surplus of $2,473,835. In reality, that 3-year surplus was $4,981,562.
o That’s another “error” (?) of $2,507,727

• In 1997, the Board’s 3 Year Financial Forecast predicted the district would be $2,342,535 in the hole by the end of the third year. In reality, the district had a fund balance of $3,618,209.
o That’s an “error” (mistake?) of $5,960,744!!!!!!

• In 2000, the Board’s 3 Year Financial Forecast predicted the district would be $144,489 in the hole by the end of the third year. In reality, the district had a fund balance of $1,789,408.
o That’s an (intentional?) “error” of $1,933,897

• In 2006 the Board’s 3 year Financial Forecast predicts the district’s surplus will be reduced by $1,155,081. In reality the size of this deception won’t be known until November 2008.
o The amount will once again prove that the Board has no credibility when it comes to forecasting their budget.

When does an error that goes uncorrected
really become intentional deceit?

Summer 2006 Did you know #2?

Holland Public Fast Facts #2
Summer 2006

Did you know?

o The school board, Superintendent Frank Garcia, and a few business leaders are holding the entire community of Holland hostage to their divisive agenda?
o According to the Grand Rapids Press, Garcia bounced settling a fair contract with the teachers off “a few business leaders” who said “Don’t you dare think of backing away.”
o Superintendent Garcia also admitted that he “put community through hell the last few months.”
o Garcia also says the community “would not appreciate” the schools settling a fair contract with the teachers.

Is Superintendent Garcia speaking for you?

If not, give him a call (494-2005) and tell him to STOP THIS NONSENSE.