Some good news for Cadillac MSRP

Rick Charmoli | Cadillac News Lincoln Elementary Principal and MSRP director Joy Beth Hicks talks about the potential of the district gaining 62 MSRP slots recently at a board of education meeting. If projected funding remains the same, CAPS could receive 62 additional slots for its MSRP program from Northwest Michigan Human Services.

CADILLAC — On Oct. 22, Cadillac Area Public Schools will find out the fate of 114 students

On Sept. 19, CAPS Superintendent Paul Liabenow as well as superintendents across the state received a letter from the Michigan Department of Education saying monies used for funding the Michigan School Readiness Program would be reallocated. The result was some schools, like Cadillac, losing some of its funding.

The difference in funding for Cadillac for the 2007-2008 school year will equal $349,600 less than what was allocated for the 2006-2007 school year, as it is proposed now.

That being said, Liabenow said the district has received some good news recently.

“Northwest Michigan Human Services in Traverse City is essentially the regional clearing house for MSRP and they have decided to provide us with 62 slots if the state does not fully fund the program,” Liabenow said.

If CAPS receives those 62 slots, it will have 70 total instead of the just the eight which were re-allocated to the district. While getting the 62 slots would be welcomed, Liabenow said that still leaves more than 40 slots that the district needs to run the program.

“After Oct. 22, the board would have to decide if it wanted to spend fund equity or pull money from other sources to fund it for the remaining slots,” he said.

Liabenow said whatever happens with the program, in the end, a great deal of credit has to go to the parents and community for rallying support behind the program.

Although CAPS is reeling from the unforeseen loss of funding, it is not alone. With most of the schools in the Cadillac area keeping even with last year’s funding levels, Lake City and Pine River also felt the pain of having funding cut.

Lake City will be receiving $33,000 less than the year before while Pine River is losing more than half of its funding from last year with a cut of $82,500.

rcharmoli@cadillacnews.com | 775-NEWS (6397)