Grosse Pointe Schools approve budget cuts of $4.6 million, eliminating teaching jobs
GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. (FOX 2) - After weeks of debate which included several hours-long meetings and public pushback, the Grosse Pointe School Board has approved a $103 million budget for the upcoming school year.
The vote inside the Brownell Multipurpose Room Tuesday night cut about $4.6 million from the previous year's budget as the district faces declining enrollment. Along with the funding reduction was the elimination of more than a dozen teaching jobs and the Spanish program in some elementary school grades.
The 4-3 vote underscores the divisions within the school board over where and how to implement the cuts. All the while, public comment periods at many of the board's previous meetings extended into the early hours of the night with angry and fiery speeches delivered from parents.
President Ahmed Ismail, Treasurer Sean Cotton, Vice President Lisa Papas, and Secretary Virginia ‘Ginny’ Jeup all voted yes.
The three trustees on the board, David Brumbaugh, Valarie St. John, and Colleen Worden all voted no.
"It really troubles me the process I witnessed tonight. I wish I could vote yes but I have to vote no," Brumbaugh said.
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The district did allocate tens of thousands of dollars for marketing and branding work. The reasoning behind sending more money in a district that's cutting back spending is to work to attract more families to Grosse Pointe schools.
The district has been dealing with a gradual decline in its enrollment for years - a trend that's not expected to stop.