Welcome to Kenowa Hills Public Schools
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khps.orgKenowa Hills Public Schools News and Announcements
| Submitted on Thu, 03/11/2010 - 11:19am. |
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Dear Friends, After three years of study, surveys, community forums and focus groups, the Board of Education has agreed to place a bond proposal on the May 4th ballot. The Board wants to be sure, in these troubling economic times, they are not asking taxpayers for anything that is not absolutely necessary. The information contained in this message is the result of many hours of hard work developing a proposal that would provide much-needed assistance to the school district while not increasing taxes. As a matter of fact, the taxpayer millage rate will actually drop from 3.36 this year to 3.06 in the first year. This will occur without extending the current levy, but by rolling the millage back less quickly than otherwise planned and still ending our current bond in 2026. The $14.3 million proposal will provide the district with instructional technology for every building, upgrades in security systems and surveillance, energy conservation improvements, improvements in instructional spaces, buses, and much-needed upgrades to our outdoor athletic facilities. The items included are things that would otherwise come from the general fund and have already been cut due to the state budget crisis. Passing this bond proposal will allow us to keep moving forward in spite of the difficult economy. Please take a few moments to review the information provided below. You can also print out an information brochure by clicking here. Voter information can be found by clicking here. Please remember the last day to register to vote is April 5. I also want to take this opportunity to personally invite you to our bond campaign kick-off event at the high school on Tuesday, March 30, at 7:00 p.m. Please join our campaign chairperson, Gary Carey, as we attempt to inform the community about this much-needed proposal. Sincerely, Thomas K. Martin Superintendent |
| Submitted on Thu, 03/11/2010 - 11:08am. |
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How does Kenowa Hills collect funds by DECREASING the millage rate? After the bond passes the millage will still decrease and WILL NOT BE EXTENDED. When you review the millage graph you will see that the blue line indicates the decrease in our current debt levy. The red line indicates the decrease after the bond passes. The space between the two lines show how KHPS can acquire funds to make improvements. » |
.preview.jpg "Bond 2010 millage graph (3).jpg")
| Submitted on Thu, 03/11/2010 - 10:51am. |
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Residents of Kenowa Hills Public Schools will vote Tuesday, May 4, on a bond totaling $14.3 million. This bond election is the culmination of a 3-1/2 year planning process that involved numerous meetings with the School Board, staff and community members to develop a long-range master plan. In the last year, we have scaled back the list of projects that were identified as needed by the community group. We have reduced the original project list back from $23 million dollars to just over $14 million dollars because we understand that in today’s economy, we need to be asking for essentials, not desires. We listened to YOU! We will be using a phased approach that utilizes a “pay-as-you-go” mentality. The proposed option is part of a 10-year plan that will actually continue to DECREASE your millage rate! It will provide improved safety and technology to help our students succeed AND the plan will reduce overall building operating costs through energy savings. Review the pie chart that shows how your dollars will be used. Bonds are like a mortgage for a school district. Because schools can’t afford to pay cash for major projects, they sell bonds. The bonds allow schools to borrow money for major projects and pay it off over a period of years. Bonds allow area residents to share in the investment in projects that benefit the entire community - both now and well into the future. |
| Submitted on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 11:00am. |
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Kindergarten Enrollment for the Class of 2023 If you have a child or know of someone with a child who will be five years old on or before December 1, 2010, who will be enrolling in school for the 2010/11 school year, please call one of our elementary schools to begin the process of enrolling your child. Elementary offices are now accepting enrollment forms for the kindergarten class of 2023. |
| Submitted on Tue, 02/23/2010 - 1:36pm. |
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Earlier this month over 50 parents gathered at Alpine Elementary to attend the English Language Learners (ELL) Parent Night. The Alpine staff offered families refreshments as they presented information on MAP Testing, ELPA Testing, the importance of conference attendance and how to use the new Honeywell Instant Alert System. Parents were also given 2 breakout session options. Parents with children at the secondary level (Middle/High School) were offered information about Powerschool and study techniques. Parents with children in the elementary buildings learned new math and reading strategies for helping students with homework and various skills. Special thanks to Jackie Haisma for assisting with organizing the great events. It was a wonderful way to provide our parents with information and celebrate our community. Thank you to all the parents who attended! |
| Submitted on Thu, 02/11/2010 - 7:31pm. |
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The Farewell to Fairview Hardcover Cookbooks are on sale for $10 each. Staff, students and families from Fairview have submitted favorite recipes to create this very special book. Proceeds will go to support end of the year/school closing activities. To purchase a cookbook stop by Fairview Elementary office during school hours or call 363-3879 to place an order. Thank you for supporting Fairview Elementary! |
| Submitted on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 12:00am. |
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KHPS now uses the Honeywell Instant Alert system as a primary way to communicate information to families. The instant alert system will notify families of school closings, event times, schedule changes, conferences, and much more. The system sends a single clear message to students’ parents or guardians by telephone, cell phone or email in any combination! Instant Alert is internet based, allowing each family to maintain a secure, password protected online profile. The instant alert system offers families 5 different alert categories to choose from:
Each family must UPDATE THEIR PROFILE in order to receive accurate instant alerts. By creating a profile users will be able to select which type of information they would like to receive on each of contact device (i.e. email, cell phone, etc.). Currently, only staff or families with students enrolled in KHPS can create a profile. In mid-January instructions on how to access the system were mailed to families with students enrolled in KHPS. If you have a child enrolled in KHPS and did not receive instructions, please contact your child's school office. |
| Submitted on Wed, 11/11/2009 - 12:53pm. |
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Superintendent Tom Martin and many other area educators, board members and parents recently attended a meeting with Governor Granholm to discuss the school budget crisis in Michigan. School aid for the 2009-10 year has been reduced by $165 per student. This reduction adds an additional $575,000 to our district’s current $1.5 million deficit. Even with this $165 per-pupil reduction, a $212 million shortfall remains in the state school-aid fund. In dollars and cents, this means unless the state legislature funds this $212 million in the next 30 days, school districts will receive a second funding reduction of $127 per student, for a total 2009-10 reduction of $292 per student. These combined reductions, along with the loss of 30 students more than projected, will bring Kenowa Hills’ projected deficit for this 2009-10 school year to $2.3 million. Lansing has a variety of options on the table to fund public education without this additional $127 per-pupil reduction and without a general tax increase. Should you wish to contact our state legislators – please follow these appropriate links: Representatives: http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp |
