EDUCATION

MAY 2009

THE UNIVERSAL PRE-K SCAM

In a column on Townhall.com on April 08, 2009, John Stossel exposed the foolishness of a government-run universal pre-kindergarten program.  He interviewed a woman who runs 6 preschools and whose reaction to the proposal is: "This whole thing is a scam."

She doesn't want to have to answer to the government because her programs are so far superior and parents choose to send their children her way.  Since public schools, in many cases, aren't doing their jobs and still get to keep their doors open there is no reason to think that pre-K would be different.  Most American kids already attend preschool.  Parents pay for it themselves, and those who can't afford it can get government subsidies or use free programs like Head Start.  Under universal pre-K, taxpayers would pay for every child.

Lots of studies show that any positive effect of preschool vanishes by grades 3 or 4.  Some studies have found that too much school may lead to disruptive and aggressive behavior.  These programs were put in place 10 years ago in Oklahoma and Georgia and have not worked to improve the students results.  Oklahoma's students lost ground to kids from other states.

The supporters then say it helps the kids socially.  How much do you want to pay for that?

Return to Index

JULY 2003

TEACHER'S PAY

In Education Next, a school-reform journal journal published by The Hoover Institution, a recent study questions the conventional view that public school teachers are woefully underpaid.

According to USA Today, commenting on the study on June 2, 2003, in the 2000-01 school year, the average teacher made $43,250 according to the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).  By comparison, midlevel accountants earned an average of $52,664.  

In The Journal Times, May 30, 2003, the study was further analyzed.

Relying on data from the National Compensation Survey of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which computes hourly earning for workers, teachers earn more per hour than architects, civil engineers, mechanical engineers, registered nurses and reporters.

Elementary school teachers earned $28.79 an hour, secondary school teachers earned $29.79 an hour and special education teachers earned $29.97 an hour.  In comparison, architects earned $23.22 an hour; editors and reporters, $24.81 an hour; civil engineers, $27.35 an hour.

According to the latest salary information from the AFT, in a press release dated July 16, 2002, Michigan pays well.

When comparing salaries with the national average of $43,250, the AFT report stated:

States with the highest average salary: Connecticut had the highest average salary at $53,507. The other top five states were California, at $52,480; New Jersey, at $51,955; New York, at $51,020; and Michigan, at $50,515. California teacher salaries spiked 10.1 percent, improving its rank from seventh to second. California’s increase reflects state efforts to reduce class size and hire more teachers.

Return to Index

MAY 2003

  WHAT'S A "PIRG?"

An article in Tech Central Station, March 3, 2003, answers that question.

A student in a Missouri Community College noted that each semester on her tuition bill an item was listed as MOPIRG.  The fine print below said: "If you opt not to support MOPIRG, please deduct this amount from your payment."  However, the tuition bill gave no explanation of what exactly MOPIRG was.

The same situation was found around the country. PennPIRG, MASSPIRG, CALPIRG -- students in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Colorado and California had been paying small fees to all of these groups, and almost none of the students knew at first what it was they were paying for.  Almost all students are donating to a PIRG.

And Ralph Nader would like to thank you for your support.

The same man who rails against corporate welfare has set up this underhanded, manipulative method of coercing money from college kids and funneling it to Ralph Nader.

The PIRG scam is short for "Public Interest Research Group," and there are well over a hundred chapters across the country.  The scams vary from campus to campus, but basically it works like this:

Each time your kid registers for classes, the local PIRG chapter has arranged with the school to tack a fee on the his tuition.  On most every campus, the PIRG chapter has made attempts to make this "contribution" as secretive and misleading as possible.  Just how secretive and manipulative the method depends on how much resistance each chapter has met in trying to get the scheme implemented.  At most schools, they first attempt to make the fee both mandatory and nonrefundable.  If that doesn't work, they lobby for as underhanded and sneaky a scheme as the school will allow.

This has been going on for 25 years.

If a student attempts to avoid the charge, signs up and then tries to "unsign," it can be very difficult to do.  In some schools, it is not possible, because the charge is mandatory.

The money is not necessarily spent on the campus where it is collected.  This is particularly true in the Northeast, where most, if not all, goes directly to the state PIRG, where it's used to pay political lawyers and statehouse lobbyists, or is used as "seed money" for further fundraising efforts.  About 10% of campus-collected money goes to the national chapter, USPIRG.

While it is always difficult to obtain financial information on Nader's organizations, it is estimated that PIRG chapters manage to collect between $10 and $20 million.

These funds are used to finance a variety of Nader causes, left-wing, anti-capitalist, Green party positions.

If you have a student in college, you should check to see if a PIRG charge appears on the tuition bill.  If so, and you do not wish to support Nader, see if your student can avoid paying it.  Some campuses have been convinced to change their policies when awareness occurred and pressure was applied.

Return to Index

APRIL 2003

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE NUTS

The Sun Online reported on March 4, 2003 on the madness which overtook the English school of Park Road Junior Infant and Nursery in Batley, West Yorks.

All words relating to pigs have been removed from the school, including the stories of the Three Little Pigs, Babe and all others which refer to pigs.  The school insists that any talk of pigs is offensive to Muslims who make up 60% of the 250 pupils.

Leading Muslims disagreed saying there is nothing in their religious rules to stop children READING about pigs.  A fuming parent said: "I've never heard of anything so ridiculous.  It is absurd."

A member of the Muslim Council of Britain said: "This is bizarre -- there is nothing to stop children reading about pigs.  The ban is simply on the consumption of pork and pig products."

Another religious leader added: "It is rather sad.  Muslims would not find the Three Little Pigs offensive."

Return to Index

JANUARY 2001

1999 IOSCO COUNTY SCHOOL STATISTICS

These tables are based on the 1999 edition of the Michigan School Report compiled by the Michigan Department of Education. The information is supplied by the schools, and, except for the MEAP scores, is subject to revision by the school personnel.  The Jan. 1999 High School Test Results are based on revised tests.  The range of the number of students taking the test is noted, however, the number of 11th graders for each school district is not. The students who excelled, met Michigan standards and met basic standards were combined for each subject.

Return to Index

AUGUST 2000

MICHIGAN TEACHERS ARE WELL PAID

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has produced a table comparing teachers' salaries across the country using the 1997-1998 school year, the latest year available.

Using the AFT estimate of an average salary of $48,361, Michigan came in fourth, behind Connecticut at $51,727, New Jersey at $50,284 and New York at $48,712.  The average country wide was  approximately $39,350.  (The entire table can be seen at www.aft.org .)

The State of Michigan reported the average reported annual teacher salary (not including benefits) as $47,359.  Corresponding 1998 school year as: Hale -- $43,648, Tawas -- $42,691, Oscoda -- $46,342 and W-P -- $41,059.

Return to Index

JULY 2000

HAVE WE BEEN DUMBED DOWN?

 Could You Have Passed the 8th Grade in 1895? Take a Look:

 This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 from Salina, Kansas. It was taken from the original document on file at the Smoky Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, Kansas and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

 8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, Kansas - 1895

 Grammar  (Time, one hour)
 1. Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.
 2. Name the Parts of Speech and define those that have no modifications.
 3. Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph.
 4. What are the Principal Parts of a verb? Give Principal Parts of do, lie, lay and run.
 5. Define Case, Illustrate each Case.
 6. What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of Punctuation.
 7-10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

 Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)
 1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
 2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
 3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50 cts. Per bu, deducting 1050 lbs. For tare?
 4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
 5. Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
 6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
 7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $.20 per inch?
 8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
 9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance around which is 640 rods?
 10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

 U.S. History  (Time, 45 minutes)
 1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided.
 2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus.
 3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
 4. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
 5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
 6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
 7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
 8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, and 1865?

 Orthography (Time, one hour)
 1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic orthography, etymology, syllabication?
 2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
 3. What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
 4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u'.
 5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e'.  Name two exceptions under each rule.
 6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling.   Illustrate each.
 7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: Bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, super.
 8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: Card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
 9. Use the following correctly in sentences, Cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
 10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography  (Time, one hour)
 1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
 2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
 3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
 4. Describe the mountains of N.A.
 5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fermandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
 6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
 7. Name all the republics of Europe and give capital of each.
 8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
 9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
 10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give inclination of the earth.

 Imagine a college student who went to public school trying to pass this test, even if the few outdated questions were modernized. Imagine their professors even being able to Pass the 8th Grade. Can Americans, student and professor alike, get  back up to the 8th Grade level of 1895?  

Return to Index

JUNE 2000

YOUR UNIVERSITY AT WORK

The State News reported on March 28, 2000 on a protest launched by Michigan's American Family Association against a new English course being added to the University of Michigan's fall schedule.  

The course, "How to be Gay: Male Homosexuality and Initiation" is being offered by a homosexual professor, David Halperin.  He says he doesn't understand where all the fuss is coming from.  "I know that they haven't attempted to contact me for information on the course. . . . I don't think they're interested in getting information.  They just want to mobilize opposition.  They have no idea what I'm teaching, because I don't know quite what it will be yet."

The course has already passed a review process by U of M's English department.  There are no plans for its removal, said Joel Seguine, a university spokesman.  "We are in complete support both of Professor Halperin's course and of his freedom to teach the course he has constructed," said Nancy Cantor, provost and vice president for academic affairs, in a prepared statement.

Thought you'd like to know so you can make an informed decision when the "Dear Alumnus" letter comes. . . .

Return to Index

JANUARY 2000

The smallest Cabinet department, with 4800 employees, Education has 167 appointees -- one to every 29 workers.  The Los Angeles Times reported on October 3, 1999 that the Department of Education has become a haven for Clinton loyalists.  For example, when Carol Moseley-Braun lost her US Senate seat, she signed on as a consultant at $435.84 a day and received $23,145.84 from January through June, 1999.  Her contract calls for her to "develop outreach plans and initiatives to convey information on the need for school reconstruction to communities, officials of state and local government, parents, business and school administrators."  (She is awaiting confirmation as Ambassador to New Zealand.)

When Carol Rasco wanted to leave her post as White House domestic advisor, she was given a $125,000 job running a skeletal reading program that Congress has refused to fund.  Other appointees include a former Stanford University education dean, a onetime suburban New York school superintendent, the president's goddaughter, the Transportation secretary's sister-in-law and myriad Clinton-Gore campaign veterans.

The inspector general has warned that the department lacked employees with critical computer and financial skills and that it needed people with expertise to oversee outside contractors.  These positions are not filled because of the political appointees.  The Department of Education budget has risen to approximately $33.5 billion per year.

Return to Index

JANUARY 2000

1999 IOSCO COUNTY SCHOOL STATISTICS

These tables are based on the 1999 edition of the Michigan School Report compiled by the Michigan Department of Education. The information is supplied by the schools, and, except for the MEAP scores, is subject to revision by the school personnel.  The Jan. 1999 High School Test Results are based on revised tests.  The range of the number of students taking the test is noted, however, the number of 11th graders for each school district is not. The students who excelled, met Michigan standards and met basic standards were combined for each subject.

THE CLASS-SIZE MYTH

In the March 13, 1999 Savannah Morning News, the editorial brought forth some interesting statistics in the wake of the Senate's passing of the $15 billion education bill which allows the states to use the money for programs which serve them best. Clinton has threatened to veto the bill because it doesn't include the required 100,000 teachers program.

The editorial points out that class sizes have been falling for more than 30 years. The average was 24.1 in 1965 and 17.3 in 1990. No corresponding increase in student achievement has been noted. In Kansas City, Missouri, a court-ordered desegregation plan that spent $2 billion in 12 years reduced class size to 12 or 13 students per teacher -- the lowest in America. Student performance didn't improve.

A 1987 New Jersey study concluded that "pupil-teacher ratios or class sizes are among the weakest effects on learning, except at class sizes below about five to 10, which amount to tutoring groups." A mid-1980's experiment in Tennessee put kindergartners in classes of 13 to 17 (rather than the usual 21 to 25) and found that the kids in the smaller classes did a little better than the ones in the larger rooms in kindergarten only. No continuing disparity in achievement was found in the later grades.

Mr. Clinton's plan seems more designed to increase the numbers of members of the teachers' unions, reliable supporters of the Democrat cause and designed to appeal to the soccer moms who believe the myth about class size. The real effect is to paper over the real problem, the quality of the teacher who is at the head of the class.

Return to Index

APRIL 1999

NO CHOICE FOR GORE

Vice President Al Gore has been a loyal backer of President Clinton's education programs -- from opposing school vouchers to making plans that would link every school to the Internet.

Michael Chapman opined on 2/17/99 in Investor's Business Daily that Gore's goal might well push an extreme environmental agenda which would shunt facts and sound science aside and instead look for crises that demand "solutions," including higher taxes and more regulations.

He noted that in joining most of the Democratic Party establishment in opposing school vouchers Gore has called them "wrong-headed" and said they "would drain precious resources from our public schools, and would barely benefit the students who need help the most."

Gore and his wife, Tipper, went to private prep schools and graduated from private colleges. Two of their children go to private schools, as did two tohers who are now in elite private colleges.

"Al Gore carries on (Clinton's) hypocrisy," said William "Chip" Mellore, president of the Institute for Justice, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm that defends voucher plans in court. "He refuses to make it possible for others to have the choice that he believes is essential for his own children's well-being -- the chance for a decent education."

Return to Index

DECEMBER 1998

1998 IOSCO COUNTY SCHOOL STATISTICS

These tables are based on the 1998 edition of the Michigan School Report compiled by the Michigan Department of Education. The information is supplied by the schools, and, except for the MEAP scores, is subject to revision by the school personnel.

HIGH SCHOOL DATA (Except as Noted)

School District: ............Hale............Tawas...............Oscoda...........W-P

School Enrollment -- State Average 489
1998.............................421..............550.....................601.............402
1997.............................387..............570.....................576.............242
1996.............................389..............517.....................581.............233
1995.............................381..............511.....................547.............238

Pupils per teacher -- Michigan: 22.9 -- U.S.: 17
1998.............................19.6.............26.2.....................23.6...........22.4
1997.............................18.0.............27.1.....................N/A............22.4
1996..............................17.7.............26.5.....................25.0...........21.0
1995..............................18.1.............24.2.....................23.6...........22.7

Average expenditure per pupil -- N/A=Not Available -- State $4227
1998.............................N/A................N/A....................N/A.............N/A
1997.............................N/A..............$4229................$4286.........$5077
1996............................$4380...........$3855................$4281.........$3606
1995............................$4155...........$4066................$4698.........$3393

Average teacher annual salary -- does not include benefits --State --$47,120
1998..............................N/A................N/A....................N/A..............N/A
1997...........................$41,706*.......$42,015..............$52,499.......$41,127
1996...........................$37,119........$43,447..............$48,221.......$29,722
1995...........................$36,637........$45,013..............$54,060......$32,016
* District wide data, did not report by school

MEAP/HSPT Scores -- 1996-97 Results -- Per Cent Proficient....................................Michigan
11th Grade Science...........22.2...............51.3...................32.7..............33.3...............38.5
11th Grade Math..............28.6...............66.7...................20.7..............25.3...............52.9
11th Grade Reading.........13.9...............44.3...................30.5..............25.4...............41.1
11th Grade Writing...........16.7...............22.4...................21.0..............15.5...............30.3

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL DATA (Except as Noted)

Hale reports Secondary school data and does not separate out high school and junior high school enrollment, pupils per teacher, average expenditure and average teacher salaries.

School District: ............Hale............Tawas...............Oscoda...........W-P

School Enrollment -- N/A=Not Available -- State -- 489
1998.............................421..............349.....................417.............237
1997.............................387..............311.....................373.............242
1996.............................389..............297.....................N/A.............233
1995.............................381..............296.....................N/A.............238

Pupils per teacher -- Michigan: 22.9 -- U.S.: 17
1998..............................19.6.............24.8...................23.8.............22.6
1997..............................18.0.............23.6...................22.5.............22.4
1996..............................17.7.............23.4....................N/A.............21.0
1995..............................18.1.............23.4....................N/A.............22.7

Average expenditure per pupil -- N/A=Not Available -- State --$4227
1997.............................N/A...............$3428................$3944........$3284
1996............................$4380.............$3450..................N/A.........$3606
1995............................$4155.............$3705..................N/A.........$3393

Average teacher annual salary -- does not include benefits -- State -- $ 47,120
1997................................N/A...........$42,794..............$45,088.......$28,169
1996...........................$37,119..........$43,600................N/A...........$29,722
1995...........................$36,637..........$44,506................N/A...........$32,016

MEAP/HSPT Scores -- 1997-98 Results -- Per Cent Proficient....................................Michigan
8th Grade Science...........12.1...............26.4...................14.2..............14.2...............22.0
7th Grade Math..............62.0...............78.5...................73.9..............73.9...............61.4
7th Grade Reading.........58.0...............63.0...................46.1..............46.1..............48.8
8th Grade Writing..........51.7...............65.7...................54.5..............54.5..............69.0

ELEMENTARY  SCHOOL DATA (Except as Noted)

Elementary School data is maintained by school. Because of the number of schools involved, the following are the 1997-1998 school results, since these are the most complete recent statistics. N/A=Not Available.

School........Enroll-........pupils/.......expense/...teacher salary.............MEAP Results--% Proficient
.......................ment........teacher.......pupil*.........average**...4th Math...4th Read...5th Sci...5th Writ

Hale..............400............26.7............N/A..............N/A.............66.0............47.2..........26.8............51.8

Tawas El......411.............24.2...........3,421..........42,608............N/A............N/A...........N/A............N/A

C. Bolen......520.............24.8............3,448..........42,560...........N/A.............N/A...........N/A...........N/A

Tawas Area...............................................................................84.5.............68.9...........41.2...........71.2

Cedar Lk....470...............26.1............4,078..........48,825..........N/A..............N/A..........N/A...........N/A

Oscoda Area..............................................................................66.0...............42.7.........27.4...........57.2

W-P.............340...............26.2............3,577..........40,814..........43.7...............35.3.........28.6..........46.1

Michigan............................................6,507...........47,009.........74.1...............58.6..........40.4.........64.3

*1996-7 data, 1997-8 N/A. .....**This salary (and the state average) do not include benefits.
........................State average benefits for 1995 were 12,179.
....................................This data was N/A for the local schools and districts.

District Data per student --1996-97

District............................Hale...........Tawas..............Oscoda...........W-P..........State
Total Revenue..............$6433...........$5527................$6226.........$6120.........$7050
Foundation Allowance...$5381...........$4921................$5097.........$4843........$5878
Current Spending..........$6411...........$5074................$6119.........$5459........$6507
Dropout Rate..................4.3................0.7.....................5.1...............1.5...........6.6....
Graduation Rate............85.9...............96.8...................83.5..............93.9.........76.2..

Median Household Income -- Michigan: $31,020 -- U.S.: $30,056
...................................$16,527........$21,325..............$20,141......$14,325

1989 per capita Income -- Michigan: $14,154 -- U.S.: $14,420
.....................................$8,114.........$10,756............. $9,382.........$7,304

The Michigan Department of Education Website contains much more information, including data on the grade school performance and statistics. There is additional data on the communities themselves.

Return to Index

JANUARY - FEBRUARY - MARCH 1998

IOSCO COUNTY SCHOOL STATS

These tables are based on the 1997 edition of the Michigan School Report compiled by the Michigan Department of Education. The information is supplied by the schools, and, except for the MEAP scores, is subject to revision by the school personnel.

HIGH SCHOOL DATA (Except as Noted)

School District: ............Hale............Tawas...............Oscoda...........W-P

School Enrollment
1997.............................387..............570.....................576.............242
1996.............................389..............517.....................581.............233
1995.............................381..............511.....................547.............238

Pupils per teacher -- Michigan: 20 -- U.S.: 17
District wide....................18................16.......................16...............17
1997.............................18.0.............27.1.....................N/A............22.4
1996..............................17.7.............26.5.....................25.0...........21.0
1995..............................18.1.............24.2.....................23.6...........22.7

Average expenditure per pupil -- N/A=Not Available
1997...............................N/A................N/A....................N/A.............N/A
1996............................$4380...........$3855................$4281.........$3606
1995............................$4155...........$4066................$4698.........$3393

Average teacher annual salary -- does not include benefits
1997................................N/A................N/A....................N/A..............N/A
1996...........................$37,119........$43,447..............$48,221......$29,722
1995...........................$36,637........$45,013..............$54,060......$32,016

MEAP/HSPT Scores -- 1996 Results -- Per Cent Proficient....................................Michigan
11th Grade Science...........12.1...............32.3...................33.7..............20.2...............38.5
11th Grade Math..............36.4...............61.5...................40.4..............26.6...............47.7
11th Grade Reading.........42.4...............38.0...................47.6..............22.8...............40.2
11th Grade Writing...........12.1...............38.5...................28.8..............10.9...............34.4

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL DATA (Except as Noted)

Hale and Whittemore-Prescott report Secondary school data and do not separate out high school and junior high school enrollment, pupils per teacher, average expenditure and average teacher salaries.

School District: ............Hale............Tawas...............Oscoda...........W-P

School Enrollment -- N/A=Not Available
1997.............................387..............311.....................373.............242
1996.............................389..............297.....................N/A.............233
1995.............................381..............296.....................N/A.............238

Pupils per teacher -- Michigan: 20 -- U.S.: 17
District wide....................18................16......................16................17
1997..............................18.0.............23.6...................22.5.............22.4
1996..............................17.7.............23.4....................N/A.............21.0
1995..............................18.1.............23.4....................N/A.............22.7

Average expenditure per pupil -- N/A=Not Available
1997.............................N/A................N/A....................N/A.............N/A
1996............................$4380.............$3450..................N/A.........$3606
1995............................$4155.............$3705..................N/A.........$3393

Average teacher annual salary -- does not include benefits
1997................................N/A................N/A.................N/A.................N/A
1996...........................$37,119..........$43,600................N/A...........$29,722
1995...........................$36,637..........$44,506................N/A...........$32,016

MEAP/HSPT Scores -- 1996 Results -- Per Cent Proficient....................................Michigan
8th Grade Science...........13.2...............31.9...................33.7..............19.8...............21.5
7th Grade Math..............43.3...............61.8...................40.4..............43.2...............55.0
7th Grade Reading.........56.7...............40.2...................47.6..............27.2...............42.3
8th Grade Writing...........62.3..............72.8....................28.8..............N/A...............69.1

ELEMENTARY  SCHOOL DATA (Except as Noted)

Elementary School data is maintained by school. Because of the number of schools involved, the following will reflect the 1995-1996 school results, since these are the most complete recent statistics. N/A=Not Available.

School........Enroll-........pupils/.......expense/...teacher salary.............MEAP Results--% Proficient
.......................ment........teacher.......pupil..........average**...4th Math...4th Read...5th Sci...5th Writ

Hale..............389............22.9...........3,898..........39,102............55.9............35.6..........25.0............57.0

Tawas El......438.............25.8...........3,370..........42,368............69.2............41.3..........28.1............48.6

C. Bolen......527.............25.1............3,144..........39,909...........N/A.............N/A...........N/A...........N/A

Tawas Area...............................................................................45.7..............48.6..........28.1...........48.6

Cedar Lk....520...............30.6............2,918..........42,604..........N/A..............N/A..........N/A...........N/A

Richardson.689...............48.2............3,688..........80,991...........49.3.............31.0..........15.3...........40.6

River Rd....355...............N/A...............643............N/A.............N/A..............N/A..........N/A...........N/A

Oscoda Area..............................................................................35.0...............29.9.........13.5...........38.2

Prescott.....351................22.6............3,865..........39,369...........N/A...............N/A.........N/A...........N/A

Whittemore325................23.9............3,626..........35,608...........29.3...............27.2.........25.2..........54.5

W-P Area...................................................................................30.6...............32.4..........25.2..........54.5

Michigan..........................................5,361*.........34,663*.........60.5...............49.0..........26.9..........55.6

*1995 data, 1996 N/A. .....**This salary (and the state average) do not include benefits.
........................State average benefits for 1995 were 12,179.
....................................This data was N/A for the local schools and districts.

District Data per student

District............................Hale...........Tawas..............Oscoda...........W-P
Total Revenue..............$3679...........$4045................$3789.........$3413
Local Taxes..................$3156...........$3274................$1758.........$1254
State Revenue.................$108............$100..................$836..........$1761
Federal Revenue.............$222............$147...................$926...........$184
Total Expenditure..........$3773...........$4890................$3995.........$3382
Current Spending..........$3751...........$3493................$3994.........$3163
Instructional Spending...$2223...........$2155................$2259.........$1608
Support Services............$1247...........$1110................$1415...........$871

Median Household Income -- Michigan: $31,020 -- U.S.: $30,056
...................................$16,527........$21,325..............$20,141......$14,325

1989 per capita Income -- Michigan: $14,154 -- U.S.: $14,420
.....................................$8,114.........$10,756............. $9,382.........$7,304

The Michigan Department of Education Website contains much more information, including data on the grade school performance and statistics. There is additional data on the communities themselves.

Return to Index