20 Speak on Farmington Grade Reconfiguration

The Farmington school board heard from about 20 district residents on grade reconfiguration Monday, a move required by declining enrollment and corresponding cuts in school funding.

Enrollment has declined by 1,000 students in the past two years and by more than 2,000 since 2004, according to information on Farmington Public Schools website. Enrollment, which peaked at more than 12,000 students, could fall to 9,000 in the near future, according to projects.

Stay Connected

• Get the free daily Farmington-Farmington Hills Patch newsletter and news alerts
• Like Farmington-Farmington Hills Patch on Facebook

During the past decade, declining state aid has resulted in program cuts, wage freezes and declining fund balance to the point where further cuts in programs, level of service and fund balance are unreasonable, the district said.

Recommendations from Superintendent George Heitsch are found below, but generally, two plans are under consideration:

Adopt a K-4, 6-8, 9-12 grade configuration, as Heitsch recommends; or

Keep the current K-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-12 system.

Once grade reconfiguration is approved, the board will tackle which buildings should be closed or repurposed, The Farmington Observer/Hometownlife.com reports.

Heitsch says his recommendation keeps as many neighborhood elementary schools open as possible and that the configuration he recommends is widely used across the country.

Mary Carleton, who has four sons enrolled in the district, said following the crowd isn’t necessarily the best option, especially considering that U.S. schools “are ranked 28th in the world,” she said.

Carleton said the school board has an opportunity to give the entire district “a new flavor” by considering the issue from every angle, from school start times to busing to how paraprofessionals are used.

“You could really rototill,” she said.

However, Samuel Porter, whose daughter attends Harrison High School, said the superintendent’s recommendation makes sense.

“Farmington is not in a vacuum.” Porter said. “If everyone else in the U.S. is doing it that way, I think that’s the way we should do it. I think it’s the best way for us, I think it’s the best way for our kids.”

Harrison High is one of the schools targeted for repurposing.

Longtime Harrison football coach John Herrington pleaded with the board to keep the school open. “I really feel this school has such a tremendous tradition,” said Herrington, who has coached the Hawks since 1970. “You don’t want to close a high school as well-known as we are known.”

Several other district residents also spoke. For more, go to hometownlife.com.

The school board will decide the issue at a Dec. 15 meeting.

» Photo via HarrisonHawksAthletics.com