Bay City, Michigan 48706
Front Page 03/28/2024 12:19 About us
www.mybaycity.com March 23, 2014
(Prior Story)   Schools ArTicle 8937   (Next Story)


Francis Reh Academy students wear uniforms and the school has adopted a strict anti-bullying code.

NEW HIGH SCHOOL? Saginaw's Francis Reh Academy Signs NMU, Eyes Expansion

March 23, 2014       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

Printer Friendly Story View

A new charter high school may be in the cards for Saginaw.

Francis Reh Academy, a 15-year-old K-8 school at 2201 Owen St., is considering adding a high school.

The Saginaw School District, faced with state pressure over a nearly $5 million deficit, was recently forced to realign and close three schools. After considering closing Saginaw High, sparking widespread opposition, the school board approved plan that closes Daniels Middle, Houghton and Merrill Park elementary schools, the staff development building at 1505 Ottawa and the administration building at 550 Millard.

Next fall, 36 teachers, six administrators, two counselors, eight secretaries and other staff members may be laid off, saving an estimated $3.6 million. The deficit-elimination plan also includes a 3 percent wage cuts for teachers aimed at saving $1 million next year.

The final decision by the Saginaw school board was to keep Saginaw High open and convert it, along with Arthur Hill High, to grades 8-12.

The Reh academy is managed by the Leona Group, which has corporate headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, and a Michigan office in Okemos. One of the Leona Group's innovations is an instructional support team of teachers who move from classroom to classroom assisting the classroom leader.

The school is in the process of switching its sponsor from Ferris State University to Northern Michigan University. The NMU Board of Trustees has approved charters and start-up boards for three schools in lower Michigan, including the Reh Academy, effective July 1. This brings the total number of NMU charter schools to 10.

A NMU spokesman said: "Both the Frances Reh Academy in Saginaw and the George Crockett Academy in inner-city Detroit are K-8 facilities and were formally chartered by Ferris State University. When their contracts with FSU came up for reauthorization, they explored a new option with NMU and completed an intensive applicationprocess. Universal Leadership Academy in Port Huron is managed by Bold Education Connections and the Romine Group. It will start as K-5 and progress to K-8."

"After the initial five-year agreement, we may look at a high school at Universal Leadership Academy as well," said Bill Pistulka, NMU's charter schools officer. "Within the next charter, we will also be looking at the addition of a high school at Frances Reh, which is currently managed by the Leona Group. That will be an ongoing discussion."

Sources inside the school said it has acquired a 10 acre plot in the city where a new high school may be built.

In 2011, the Michigan Legislature approved a bill that gradually lifted the cap on the number of charter schools authorized by public universities. The bill also removed the single-site restriction, allowing schools with a waiting list to have additional grades on another site.

NMU is a relatively small authorizer compared with Central Michigan University and Grand Valley State, both of which oversee more than 50 charter schools.

NMU charters three Upper Peninsula schools: Bahweting Anishnabe in Sault Ste. Marie, Nah Tah Wahsh in Hannahville and North Star Academy in Marquette. Lower Peninsula charter schools are Burton Glen in Burton, Walton in Pontiac, South Pointe Scholars Charter Academy in Ypsilanti and Experiencia Preparatory Academy in Detroit.

"We have looked at this from a mission-specific perspective as we determine the growth of charter schools at NMU," Pistulka added. "If you look at those we have chartered, they are in high-need areas with low-performing traditional schools. Rather than take the traditional system out of place, the charter schools offer a competitive balance intended to provide families with a choice and improve academic performance."

Pistulka emphasized that charter schools are public and non-profit. NMU receives 3 percent of the $7,100 per-pupil state funding rate as the chartering university.



Printer Friendly Story View
Prior Article

February 10, 2020
by: Rachel Reh
Family Winter Fun Fest is BACC Hot Spot for 2/10/2020
Next Article

February 2, 2020
by: Kathy Rupert-Mathews
MOVIE REVIEW: "Just Mercy" ... You Will Shed Tears, or at Least You Should
Agree? or Disagree?


Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

More from Dave Rogers

Send This Story to a Friend!       Letter to the editor       Link to this Story
Printer-Friendly Story View


--- Advertisments ---
     


0200 Nd: 03-24-2024 d 4 cpr 0






12/31/2020 P3v3-0200-Ad.cfm

SPONSORED LINKS



12/31/2020 drop ads P3v3-0200-Ad.cfm


Designed at OJ Advertising, Inc. (V3) (v3) Software by Mid-Michigan Computer Consultants
Bay City, Michigan USA
All Photographs and Content Copyright © 1998 - 2024 by OJA/MMCC. They may be used by permission only.
P3V3-0200 (1) 0   ID:Default   UserID:Default   Type:reader   R:x   PubID:mbC   NewspaperID:NewspaperID
  pid:1560   pd:11-18-2012   nd:2024-03-24   ax:2024-03-28   Site:5   ArticleID:8937   MaxA: 999999   MaxAA: 999999
claudebot