PORTAGE (WKZO) -- Times are tough in Michigan Schools and particularly in Portage where they are reconstructing the high schools, facing millions in budget cuts and dealing with a lot of angry parents over a host of smaller issues.
Earlier this year board president Jennifer Whistler quit. She didn’t give a reason. Now comes word that her replacement Dale Posthumous has also turned in his resignation. Spokesman Tom Vance says Vice President John White will serve as interim president until the board can choose new officers…and they will be searching for someone to fill out Posthumous’s vacancy.
Anyone who is interested can apply until March 24th. Trustees serve for little pay in a thankless job, that has become even tougher and less fun as revenue has dried up, and it’s become their job to make extremely unpopular cuts.
While protestors hit the Capitol yesterday, demanding that the legislature heed the Governor’s advice and maintain stable funding for education, and raise tax revenues to fund them, both the House and Senate were taking up cuts. A Senate Subcommittee approved a $118 per pupil cut.
House Education Committee Chair Tim Melton says they are looking at an even bigger cut. He is floating the idea of tie-barring the cuts to an August ballot request to raise taxes. If voters say no…they take out the axe. It would take 2/3rds of both houses to put something like that on the ballot.
