As part of this visioning process, consistent efforts have been made throughout the MAPS district in assessing student progress through the resources of the Northwest Evaluation Association and incorporating data gathered into the creation of individualized student focused solutions and optimization of group instruction. With the recruitment of a dedicated Curriculum Director and the development a professional learning community our educators are engaged to share expertise and work collaboratively to improve teaching skills to impact the academic performance of students. MAPS provides our faculty with support, mentorship, and coaching for developing a consistent philosophy of education and K-12 developmental goals to meet desired outcomes for all students.

The MAPS 2020 Vision includes programmatic elements that reach beyond the bond scope and our physical environments. Our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum provides social and emotional programming within the academic curriculum to help our students learn about self-awareness, self-management, relationship building and other basic life skills. The intention is to address emotional and behavioral issues through a comprehensive, consistent approach at all grade levels, while also providing them with critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills needed to be successful on any life path they choose.

Through a carefully considered balance of academic curriculum, technology, social and emotional programming, and well-planned and supportive learning environments we will enable our students to excel, while also providing a stable educational foundation within our community.

The Full MAPS 2020 Vision includes plans for:

• Flexible & Collaborative Learning Spaces
• Secure & Accessible Buildings
• Educational Excellence through Professional and Curriculum Development
• Supportive Culture for Students and Staff
• Community Stability through Support of Economic Development Efforts
• Operational Efficiency through Long-Term Facilities Planning
• Expansion of Extracurricular Assets
• Community Collaboration of Shared Resources

Vocational/Technical Trades today are addressed much differently than they were 20 to 30 years ago when schools had offerings such as wood shop and mechanics classes available onsite. Technology has developed these trades into highly technical careers that require trades experts and expensive equipment to teach the skills necessary to succeed in these fields.

In order to continue to meet the needs of these students, our Career Technical Education (CTE) program offers MAPS students the opportunity to earn articulated college credit through partnerships the district has with WSCC, as well as Ferris State, and other higher learning institutions. CTE opportunities provide our students with the academic and technical skills, knowledge and training necessary to succeed in their chosen career field.

The MAPS district recognizes the diversity nature of how students learn. It is important that we incorporate resources for those students that are both excelling and those that need additional support to stay on track. For those students interested in advanced learning we offer the following options:

Advanced Placement Classes

Advanced Placement is a program run by the College Board (the makers of the SAT) that allows students to take courses at MAPS, for which they can earn college credit and/or qualify students for more advanced classes when they begin college.

The AP courses are designed to give the student the experience of an intro-level college class while still in high school, providing the challenge advanced students desire. They may even earn college credit for the class if they pass the AP exam with a qualifying score. Current AP courses offered at MAPS:

• English (Composition)
• Environmental Science
• US History
• Psychology
• Calculus I
• Computer Science
• Chemistry

Dual Enrollment

Through a partnership with West Shore Community College, MAPS Students are able to apply for Dual Enrollment. This program allows high school students to enroll in college courses for credit while still in high school.

Learn More

Our MAPS Campus offers a continuum of learning where students advance seamlessly through a Chippewa Journey of their own design. At the leading-edge of connected learning, MAPS provides the advantage of Power Learning, our one-to-one technology program, to provide every student with the tools necessary to connect with their world and create their own pathway for success.

Technology has been shown to transform learning by introducing in a new model of connected teaching. Technology links teachers to their students and provides expanded access to content, resources, and systems to help them improve instruction and personalize learning for the way a student learns.

Today’s world requires students to have strong technological skills regardless of their path for the future. As the job market evolves, so must our curriculum in order to provide relevant skills for advanced education and entering the workforce.

Budget and Salary/Compensation Transparency Reporting

The MAPS district holds a fund balance (sometimes referred to as a rainy-day fund), which is set aside and allocated to cover district operations for emergencies and times when state or local revenues may be delayed or not available.

The Mackinaw Center for Public Policy Reports:

The Michigan School Business Officials organization recommends that districts maintain a fund balance of at least 15% of a district’s general fund expenditures. Based on data from Bulletin 1011 for fiscal 2006, the general fund balance after reserves and designations of conventional school districts and charter schools statewide was about 10.8% of total current operating expenditures, showing that many districts struggle to meet the recommendation.MAPS fund balance for the 2017-18 school year was approximately 20% of the total budget.

State Funding

Prior to Proposal A, schools were financed primarily through local property taxes. In 1993-94, Michigan home and business owners were paying on average 33 operational mills assessed on the State Equalized Value (50% of market value) of their properties. At that time, local taxation accounted for roughly 69% of the State/local split of school finance, with State funding making up the other 31%.

In July of 1993, the Michigan Legislature approved, and the Governor signed into law, P.A. 145 of 1993. This law exempted all real and personal property taxes for school operating purposes beginning in 1994. This law eliminated approximately 64% or $6.4 billion of $10.0 billion of total K-12 school funding beginning in FY 1994-95, requiring the Legislature to create a new funding structure.

Proposal A passed in March 1994:

• Sales Tax Increased from 4% to 6%, with 100% of the Revenue from the Additional 2% Dedicated to the School Aid Fund (SAF);
• Use Tax – All Revenue from the 2% Increase –SAF;
• State Education Tax Assessed on the Taxable Value of all Property at 6 mills;
• New Real Estate Transfer Tax – 0.75% applied to the selling price of the property;
• Cigarette Tax – increase from 25 to 75 cents per pack, with 63.4% of the increase dedicated to the School Aid Fund. (August 1, 2002 saw a 50 cent increase, 20 cents of which was dedicated to the SAF. This tax increased again on July 1, 2004, to $2.00/pack; none of the 75 cent increase was dedicated to the School Aid Fund.)

Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of waiting until 2029 when the current bond drops off. The facilities assessment that was conducted in 2018 has identified facilities infrastructure, maintenance and furnishings needs in excess of $48 million dollars over the next 10 years, if no changes are made to the current 4-building facilities configuration. With all 4 buildings remaining in service, that number jumps to 63+ million in 20 years.

With each year that passes, our buildings age and require additional maintenance. Approximately 91% of our annual budget is allocated to expenses directly related to educating our students, this leaves us with 9% of our budget for building operations and maintenance. In addition to covering everyday expenses such as general repairs, utilities, plowing, etc., from this budget we must also allocate for capital improvements for things like roof or window replacement, and furnishings upgrades. The budgetary allocation for the 2018/19 schools year provided approximately $1.3 million for operations and maintenance plus $328,000 to service debt from the 7 million dollars in maintenance and improvement work completed without incurring additional tax burden on our community. As you can see, our facilities needs are very quickly outpacing our budget.

According to a National Bureau of Economic Research report, it was found that the degree of external competition that a school district faces from neighboring districts may also affect the efficiency of school spending and therefore housing values. This speaks to a more expansive concern to school districts and their surrounding communities regarding student retention in the face of the School of Choice option.

With the introduction of School of Choice in 1996, school districts were placed in the position of having to consider marketability for the first time. Over the last few years, MAPS SOC population is showing an upward trend in SOC transfers. Proving a margin exists for improvement.

In a competitive market, it becomes critical for school districts to identify what impacts decision making. Parents are measuring 21^st Century learning amenities, test scores, academic offerings, extracurricular diversity, fiscal responsibility, social and behavioral supports, community pride, and more.

Manistee is compared with neighboring communities based upon development opportunities, as well as our educational, housing, and workforce assets.  In order to retain students and grow business and manufacturing in our county, we need to envision and invest in a future for our community that supports Manistee as a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Using an assessment of the current physical structures of district, we have evaluated our facilities needs over the next 20 years. Comparing operational expenses to facility need, we have developed a plan for efficient use and maintenance of our physical assets, ensuring sustainable and supportive learning environments for future Chippewas.

Additionally, we have taken into account how changes in enrollment may impact our district capacity and financial future. In the MAPS 2020 Vision, consideration has been given to the capacity of individual buildings, maintenance requirements of those buildings over the next 20 years, and student enrollment projections. The MAPS 2020 Vision aligns our facilities assessment findings with historic and projected enrollment figures to reconfigure current district assets.

Although the MAPS 2020 Vision bond scope cannot completely encapsulate all maintenance needs for all facilities for the next 20 years, we are confident that we have developed a plan that provides appropriately scaled learning environments for our student population, while also delivering efficient and affordable facilities the district can maintain well into the future, saving the district millions in maintenance and operational costs.

Potential Benefits include:

• Operational efficiency
• Buildings scaled to enrollment projections
• Shared resources
• Transportation efficiency
• Improved financial stability
• Reduced maintenance costs

K-12 Investment in Neighboring Districts

*Ludington and Cadillac bonds have passed, Benzie’s bond proposal will be voted on in November 2019.

In 2011, Michael Walden is an economist at North Carolina State University, wrote an extensive report on the economic impact of public schools. He indicates one of the most important impacts of a school district on its local economy is from the “outputs” of schools such as the generation of successful graduates who will be more productive in the local economy and who impose fewer public costs by becoming less likely to engage in crime and drug use, and more likely to lead healthier, productive lifestyles.

Local Manistee community entities are working in collaboration with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation through the Rising Tide Initiative to identify how to improve the economic forecast of Manistee County by measuring which efforts will have the greatest long-term impact on economic concerns such as job stability, workforce development, and affordable housing. Manistee Area Public Schools works to ensure an educational foundation that is supportive of these efforts.

FOUNDATION FOR A STRONG COMMUNITY

A strong community foundation includes the following elements:

• Economic– Diverse, vital, and innovative business providing service and creating job opportunity.
• Education– High-quality educational resources for lifetime learning.
• Health & Wellness – Access to quality health care resources.
• Neighborhood & Community – Provide housing and basic needs of residents, while creating a sense of pride and shared purpose.
• Assets– Recreational, historic, and cultural assets for quality lifestyle.

EDUCATION FOR A STRONG COMMUNITY

Why education matters…

• Supports stable property values
• Attracts and keeps families in our community
• Fosters economic development
• Provides work force for area businesses
• Develops students into productive citizens

Community Impact of Your School District

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, there is a clear connection between school expenditures and home values. A report titled, “Using Market Valuation to Assess Public School Spending,” found that for every dollar spent on public schools in a community, home values increased by $20. These findings indicate that additional school expenditures may benefit everyone in the community, whether or not those residents actually have children in the local public-school system.

Insulating Property Values

In a 2009 study at Georgia Tech, the effects of the recession on housing values were studied to identify changes in the demand for certain characteristics of residential properties as the market was falling.

They analyzed home buying influencing characteristics such as bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, age, stories, garage, basement, general interior and exterior, school district, crime stats, median income, etc.  The research discovered that a quality school district can have a profound insulating effect on the housing values in the surrounding community.

Although we are in full support of the Ludington Area School District Safe & Modern Schools Plan, we are also keenly aware of the potential impact the district’s improvements could make on the Ludington community that neighbors our county. Educational resources are important to the economic strength of a community. Quality educational resources are a critical component in community selection for those considering future business and development opportunities.

Foundational Factors for a Strong Community

• Economic – Diverse, vital, and innovative business providing service and creating job opportunity.
• Education – High-quality educational resources for lifetime learning.
• Health & Wellness – Access to quality health care resources.
• Neighborhood & Community – Provide housing and basic needs of residents, while creating a sense of pride and shared purpose.
• Assets – Recreational, historic, and cultural assets for quality lifestyle.

Additional consideration of neighboring educational assets is also a concern. According to a National Bureau of Economic Research report, it was found that the degree of external competition that a school district faces from neighboring districts may also affect the efficiency of school spending and therefore housing values. This speaks to a more expansive concern to school districts and their surrounding communities regarding student retention in the face of the School of Choice option.

With the introduction of School of Choice in 1996, school districts were placed in the position of having to consider marketability for the first time. Over the last few years, MAPS SOC population is showing an upward trend in SOC transfers. Proving a margin exists for improvement.

In a competitive market, it becomes critical for school districts to identify what impacts decision making. Parents are measuring 21^st Century learning amenities, test scores, academic offerings, extracurricular diversity, fiscal responsibility, social and behavioral supports, community pride, and more.

Manistee is compared with neighboring communities based upon development opportunities, as well as our educational, housing, and workforce assets.  In order to retain students and grow business and manufacturing in our county, we need to envision and invest in a future for our community that supports Manistee as a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Why education matters to a community…

• Supports stable property values
• Attracts and keeps families in our community
• Fosters economic development
• Provides work force for area businesses
• Develops students into productive citizens

MAPS administration is working in collaboration with City and County planners, the Sands Park Committee, our architecture and engineering contractors, and other associated recreational entities to determine how to meet the needs of both the district and the community, while maintaining a sound financial plan for stewardship of district assets. We will keep the community apprised of all developments as the activities of this collaborative group seek solutions.

Safety of our students and staff is, and always has been, the focus of our attention. We have addressed safety in a multitude of ways and will continue to allocate resources to build upon these efforts. MAPS administration, staff, Board of Education, and our Student Safety Advisory Committee have work hard to formulate solutions for addressing safety concerns. The following is a summary of some of our recent progress in the area of safety:

Communication

• • Communication Matrix Developed and Implemented
  • Safety Communication and Resources Presented on Safety Page of Website
  • Efforts to Improve Communication Between District and Parents
  • Manistee Community Safety Committee Developed for Countywide Communication of Safety Standards

Buildings

• • Building Tours Completed/Identified Safety Improvement Opportunities
  • Grant Obtained for Safety Film at MMHS
  • Bus Protocols Implemented
  • Door Sensor Installation
  • Fingerprinting Standards Identified
  • Emergency Operation Procedures Reviewed and Revised

Education & Training

• • Social Emotional Learning Curriculums Reviewed
  • OK 2 Say Training
  • Stewards of Children Training
  • QPR Training
  • Student & Staff Opportunities
    • Opioid Symposium
    • Vaping Assembly
    • Homeland Security

Ongoing Initiatives

• • • MMHS Safety Improvements to Entry – Budgeting for 2019/20 Project
      • Working with contractors to design improvements for front entrance and office areas
      • Create separation between student population and adults visiting the building
    • Door Sensor Installations
    • Bus Route Improvement
      • Schedules are being revised to accomplish 10-minute drop-off windows
    • Manistee Community Safety Committee – EOP Alignment
      • 763-page EOP document was presented for review
      • Standards are being finalized
    • CentraWellness at Madison
      • Madison will be the new location for the CentraWellness Autism & ADD Therapist
    • Jefferson Parent Visit to Ludington – Locked All Day Policy
      • Access & Entry procedure monitored at each building
      • Met with parent advisors to discuss in-building safety concerns
      • Visited Ludington to review Locked All Day procedures
      • Developing policy and procedure for keeping building locked at all times
      • Reviewed and discussed revised drop-off & pick-up procedures that will be implemented for 2019/20
    • MMHS Pick-Up & Drop-Off/Bus Route Improvement
      • Discussed opportunities for improving the transportation procedures at MMHS
      • Solutions implemented with Transportation Director

As you will see on our Facilities History timeline, the removal of the 1927 High School building was included in bond proposals in June of 1997, June of 1998, and August of 2011. All 3 of these bond proposals failed. The bond proposal that was passed in September of 1999, did not include the removal of this building.

Yes, the proposed plan includes full demolition of the Jefferson building as well as the necessary site work to create an open park-like greenspace at the Jefferson site. The current playground equipment and parking lot will be maintained until a plan for that site has been further developed.

Renovating Kennedy Elementary while also budgeting for the estimated maintenance needs of Jefferson Elementary would be cost prohibitive to the District. Removing the Jefferson Building (the oldest of the 4 buildings currently online –built 1954) the district will save millions in anticipated maintenance for a building not needed to serve current enrollment forecasts.

*Maintenance cost come from MAPS General Fund Budget
** Capital Need based on Facility Assessment

Investing in our elementary with the best infrastructure allows the district to save $21.16 million over the next 20 years.

*Maintenance cost come from MAPS General Fund Budget

Through the process of facilities visioning, we have considered many options. Madison is an aging building, however the space available there has been put to great use. The former Madison Elementary School has undergone a repurposing plan which began after the building consolidation in 2017 and was recently was renamed: Madison Community Learning Center. Madison currently houses, MAPS Preschool, Great Start Readiness Program, MAPS After School Care, Face to Face Homeschool Program, Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy, is a resource for Manistee Intermediate School District, and most recently became the new location for the CentraWellness Autism & ADD Therapist.

In the proposed plan, with a reasonable investment to renovate space and mechanical services, the Madison Community Learning Center would be used as a community hub offering practical resources and innovative programs to meet the educational, health, social, and behavioral needs of students throughout our community as well as the location of our administrative offices.

The move of our administrative offices to Madison allows for the space needed at Kennedy to house all lower grades, Pre-K through 5 in one location.

Through the further development of collaborative community partnerships, we will endeavor to assist Manistee families with centralized, diverse resources to help them thrive and grow.

This option was evaluated as we worked through the process of identifying a potential vision for our facilities future. Considering land held by the district, and adjacent properties, it quickly became clear that there would not be adequate space to house all students in one location while also providing for safe and efficient means for parking and pick-up and drop-off procedures.

There has been some concerned voiced about the configuration of the 2^ndgrade classrooms on the lower level of the Kennedy Elementary building. Although there are no daylight windows in the 2^ndgrade rooms, optimized lighting has been addressed from several angles. First, clerestory windows have been specified on the entry wall that will draw natural light from the center open group space, additionally 16’ ceilings and suspended cloud ceiling fixtures provide both upward and downward directed lighting to provide adequate light and visual height to the room.

Tower Pinkster, the architecture firm responsible for the design of the proposed plan, has created a 3D video walk-through of the 2^ndgrade classrooms to provide the 2nd grade staff with a feel for the space created. Our intention with this plan is to provide adequate space with well planned amenities for all students and staff any all grade levels.

MAPS is focused on optimizing student success, is paying attention to the input from our internal and external stakeholders, and has deployed improvement strategies many areas:

Academics

• Recruited a dedicated Curriculum Director in 2019.
• Developed a professional learning community, which engages a group of educators to share expertise and works collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students.
• Continued efforts are being made in assessing student progress through work with the NWEA and incorporating data gathered into the creation of student focused solutions for optimizing instruction.

Safety

• Created the Student Safety Advisory Committee (SSAC) a community-based safety initiative team to research, devise, and inform the Board of Education regarding initiatives to improve safety.
• Identified, applied for, and was awarded grant dollars to improve safety features of district assets. Additional opportunities are being continually sought.
• Participating regularly in collaborative safety efforts with local law enforcement and neighboring districts to streamline response procedures
• Leading student group initiatives focused on improved internal culture and positive decision making.
• Ongoing participation of administration, staff, and students in local efforts and training for safety awareness initiatives.

Communication

• Implemented outreach effort with internal and external stakeholders to better understand the perception, concerns, and desires of our community.
• Assembled a staff leadership committee to lead internal culture development and proliferation.
• Launched a new website focused on improvement of communication and robust and easily accessible resources.

Facilities Stewardship

• Engaging in discussion with internal and external stakeholders to identify a 20-year vision for district facilities plan.
• Identifying potential bond initiative to fund highest priority facilities needs.
• Outlining 20-year strategy for maintaining existing district assets.
• Maintaining the integrity of the operating budget while making infrastructure improvements for creatingsafe, secure, healthy and energy-efficient school in partnership with Honeywell Initiatives.

Over the last 20 years, MAPS has strategically addressed maintenance needs and finances have been efficiently managed to address emergent facility projects. Over the last 20 years, MAPS has made significant improvements throughout the district based upon without additional tax burden on our community:

• Improved Indoor & Outdoor Lighting
• Upgraded Fire Alarm Systems
• Installed Playground at Kennedy Elementary
• Purchased New Busses
• Boilers & Controls
• Roofed all buildings
• Added Security Cameras and Installed Door Monitoring Systems
• Updated Classroom Technology
• Upgraded Baseball, Softball, and Football Fields
• Built Restroom & Concessions Building at Football Fields
• Repaired & Expanded Parking Lots
• Built Community Track
• Built Paine Aquatic Center

Perhaps the greatest concern when considering this question is the long-range cost to maintain our facilities and how the current configuration will serve our population as it declines. Enrollment is projected to decrease by more than 30% over the next 20 years. As enrollment declines, so will school funding. The impact of maintaining numerous aging buildings, not operating at capacity, would create a significant financial burden on the district.

This proposed plan would relocate MAPS Pre-School and the Great Start Learning Program from Madison to the renovated Kennedy building. MAPS offers Pre-K programming for children ages 3 to 5. Interest has been expressed for our district to expand services for children 0 to 3. The programming and expense for such a consideration is a major undertaking and requires collaborative efforts of many community organizations to determine the best course of action. MAPS is committed to having these conversations, better understanding the needs of our community, and becoming a partner in a solution to serve young families.

The school buildings are scaled to ensure adequate space for both current and projected enrollment. The new Kennedy Elementary classroom configurations are designed to accommodate 120 per grade, we are currently averaging 79 to 105 students per elementary grade. If, in the future, our district shows growth in enrollment, the property of both the Kennedy building and the MMHS site are both able to accommodate for expansion on all grade levels.

MAPS district averages a 20:1 student to teacher ratio. The other districts within the Manistee Intermediate School District are as follows:

Bear Lake 25:1
Kaleva Norman Dickson 22:1
Onekama 21:1