Financial Crisis in Pontiac could impact both Middle School and High School Sports in the area

Written Thursday June 13th, at 5:30 PM

Could the Pontiac school district dissolve by the 2013-2014 school year?

It could happen but not likely will be this fall.

The State of Michigan is considering dissolving school districts that are under financial stress. The legislation would let the State Treasurer and the State Superintendent dissolve financially troubled school district and merge them with other school districts. The revised legislation allows school districts that are less than 2,500 students to be impacted. Pontiac has 5,000 students enrolled in its school district.

Pontiac was mentioned by the state along with Saginaw Buena Vista and Inkster as schools that were to face dissolution in the state legislature however the state said that Pontiac do have sufficient funds to open this fall but do they have the funds to operate for a whole school year?

Saginaw Buena Vista and Inkster face this likely scenario this fall because they have less than 2,500 students and are in budget deficits because of falling property values and enrollment. Saginaw Buena Vista had to close its doors to students for two weeks because they ran out of money and defaulted on a two million dollar loan. Inkster meanwhile has a 16 million dollar deficit and has agreed to charter its high school with the education department.

The State’s Emergency Loan Board found that there was “probable financial stress” in the Pontiac School District. Pontiac Schools faces a $38 million dollar budget deficit and if Governor Rick Snyder and his financial review team declare Pontiac Schools in a financial emergency then Snyder could give Pontiac Schools four options under Public Act 436, a consent agreement, Chapter Nine Bankruptcy, mediation, or an Emergency Manager.

However Oakland Schools will not let the Pontiac School District dissolve if it were the case.

If the Pontiac School District would be dissolved then students would be put in the Bloomfield Hills, Avondale, Waterford, West Bloomfield, and Lake Orion school districts.

The House proposal says that the district bringing in children would not receive the debt or the low test scores coming into the district. The new district would have two to three years to bring the grades up before they average into the district’s test scores.

Officials from those six school districts, including Lake Orion is keeping a close eye on the situation. Lake Orion became an Open Enrollment school district last year. Some parts especially in the southern part of Orion Township are in the Pontiac School District.

Under the new dissolution proposal the intermittent school district can divide up the children with the combination of several factors. The school districts would receive more state aid for students and employees who continue to work for the new district would have pay and benefits of the receiving districts. Those who are not immediately hired will have the chance to be interviewed for job openings for two years.

This Pontiac School District situation does have a big impact on Lake Orion and its school district. Lake Orion is north of Pontiac and could get some of the Pontiac students if this law passes if Pontiac Schools can’t get its fiscal house in order.

This move could have an impact on athletics. If Pontiac Schools does dissolve then where does this leave scheduling? Pontiac High School plays in the Red in Football, Girls Basketball, and Boys Basketball and they are in the Blue/Gold for other sports including track, cross country, baseball, wrestling, softball, volleyball, and swimming and diving. Pontiac Middle School plays football, volleyball, track, wrestling, cross country, and basketball against schools from Lake Orion (Scripps, Waldon, and Oakview,) Clarkston (Clarkston Jr. High, and Sashabaw,) and Oxford. If Pontiac Schools dissolves then where do those schools face and does the Waterford schools (Pierce and Mason) or Avondale come back?

There a lot of questions that needs to be answered so this could be an interesting summer and fall along an interesting school year.