Registrations for Clarkston Community Education will soon be handled by Independence Township.
That doesn’t mean the township is taking over the program, though, said Superintendent Dr. Rod Rock.
“There are no plans at this time to do away with the Community Education department,” said Rock, responding to concerns from Clarkston Board of Education members at Monday’s meeting. “This is not a slippery slope to the district not having community education.”
In a split vote, the school board approved the partnership agreement with Independence Township Parks, Recreation, and Seniors for community ed registration.
Cost of the agreement is $11,000, half paid by Jan. 1, 2015, and half by July 17, 2015.
The district will recoup the money on staffing costs, and avoiding credit card fees and registration software purchases, said Mary Beth Rogers, executive director of business services.
Board Treasurer Joan Patterson and Secretary Craig Hamilton voted against the agreement.
The district is expected to hire a new community education head, and that person should be part of the process, Patterson said.
Community education should also reconsider giving up contact with customers, the treasurer said.
“Customers come in to talk to our people and talk about what they’d like to see,” Patterson said. “This is intelligence we can learn from ? my idea is to put this off for six months.”
If the agreement was delayed for six months, the district would have to hire a new employee immediately, Rock said.
Hamilton said cost savings was the biggest factor in his decision.
“To me, the only reason to do this is to save money,” he said.
Voting for the agreement was board President Rosalie Lieblang, Vice President Susan Boatman, and trustees Elizabeth Egan, Steve Hyer, and Cheryl McGinnis.
McGinnis agreed money is a key factor. However, adding online registration is a good idea.
“I do believe today’s family has become very accepting of enrolling in something online ? it’s very common,” she said. “I’d like the opportunity to explore and utilize a relationship between township and school district.”
Boatman said she was concerned with a loss of flexibility.
“I’ve been hearing that community education is currently very flexible in scheduling ? they take people at the last minute and expand class sizes if needed,” she said.
Ken Elwert, director of parks, rec, and seniors, said instructors would continue to be able to be as flexible as they like.
“Each class in the system includes tons of notes with it ? flexibility is indicated there,” Elwert said. “We’re a customer-focused organization as well.”
Under the agreement, community education will continue to have one fulltime employee, and customer service will be improved, Rock said.
“There will still be a person in direct contact with parents,” he said. “We’re not turning community education over to the township. They’re only talking registrations to make things easier for people.”
The agreement provides residents with a “one-stop shop” to sign up for township parks and rec as well as community education programs, Elwert said.
“It eliminates a small portion of duplication on the administration side and allows community education access to the township registration system,” he said.
Under the agreement, people can register for community education programs online, by phone, or walk in. Community education registrations will be handled by the township’s RECPRO computer database program. The township will also provide cancellation-notification service.
The agreement is for one year, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2015, with a termination clause.
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The school board voted unanimously to approve the purchase of 53 school buses from Hoekstra Transportation for $4,121,264.
The district will but 40 77-passenger buses, eight 30-passenger buses, and five 18-passenger, wheelchair-station buses.
The purchase, set for June from the low bidder, continues the district’s installment purchase plan of 35 monthly payments with sale of the buses back to Hoekstra at the end of the term.