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Schools

Superintendents Discuss What's Next for Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills Schools

At forum, schools chiefs talk about state cutbacks, merging Andover and Lahser and superintendent pay.

More teacher collaboration, implementing new technology and maintaining a relatively stable budget are issues on the front burner for Birmingham schools this school year, Superintendent David Larson said at an education forum Wednesday morning.

Birmingham schools are right where they need to be going into the 2011-12 school year, Larson said at , hosted by the at the . “The district is going from great to greater,” he said.

Larson was joined by Bloomfield Hills Superintendent Robert Glass at the event moderated by Birmingham Eccentric editor Greg Kowalski. Community members had the opportunity to question both superintendents on issues facing their districts, including state cutbacks, the merging of Andover and Lahser high schools and superintendent pay.

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Budgets continue to be an issue

According to Larson, will be putting an even greater emphasis on teacher collaboration and implementing new technology — including interactive whiteboards — in the classroom.

Paying for these projects costs money, however while Glass and Larson acknowledged state cuts to public schools have been less than ideal, both districts are in good shape financially.

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This summer, the . As a result, programs have been maintained in both districts and an addition of 100 students to the Birmingham district last year helped boost its budget even more.

“We are really in a position of stability, but are wary,” Larson said.

Voters will also have a chance to weigh in on how the Birmingham board has handled its budget this fall, with a millage renewal and two school board seats on the Nov. 8 ballot. Both superintendents noted the steps they’ve taken to help their budgets, including freezing administrative pay at Birmingham while Glass said he and his executive staff took a 5 percent pay cut this year.

Bloomfield Hills working on merger details

During the forum, Glass couldn’t avoid discussing the merging of Andover and Lahser high schools, approved by the Bloomfield Hills school board in June and scheduled to go into effect in 2013.

“Last year we spent a lot of time reaching out to the community,” he said. “Last year the focus was outward, now it’s time to focus on our strategic plan.”

Glass said the district will continue working out details of the merger plan, including how to split up the grades.

“There is no alternative for us,” Glass said. “We will work toward how that gets arranged.”

As for combining the two districts — another issue raised by an audience member — the answer was clear: not anytime soon. While both districts continue to work closely with each other, Glass said a move like that is “easier said than done.”

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