Marquette Parents Fine-Tune School Budget Options

Marquette-area parents come up with their own alternatives to slashing the school district budget.

Parents met at Bothwell Middle School for a final time Sunday to go over ideas about the district’s $3.7 million deficit.

They looked at areas where money can be cut and came up with 3 options on where students could go to class.

Alternative 1 takes 2 years to implement.

Kindergarteners through 4th-graders would be spread around all the elementary schools.

5th-graders would go to Graveraet Intermediate School.

The next year, the elementary schools would be K-through-5, except that Superior Hills Elementary 5th-graders would be sent to Bothwell.

Option 2 would move 8th-graders to the high school, with 5th through 7th-graders at Bothwell and a partial closure of Graveraet.

Option 3 is to have a junior high school within the high school for 7th and 8th-graders, close Bothwell, put 4th-graders at elementary schools and put 5th and 6th-graders at Graveraet.

The plans would all mean savings of at least $3.2 million.

There are public meetings coming up this week where parents can talk directly with board members and share what they think the best choice is.

The meetings are Wednesday at 6pm, and Thursday at 8am and 1pm, all at the MARESA building.