A couple of weeks ago, Oxford Superintendent Tim Throne and Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance Sam Barna traveled to Lake Orion to discuss transportation issues and see if there is a way the two districts could work together to provide service and cut costs.
Throne and Barna met with Assistant Superintendent of Finance John Fitzgerald and was joined by Lake Orion Superintendent Marion Ginopolis. Near the end of their discussion on ways they might work together, Ginopolis told Throne there was an issue she wanted him to follow-up on.
It dealt with the reimbursement of homeless students Lake Orion transported to Oxford during the 2011-12 school year. Throne asked she present whatever information Lake Orion had and he would bring it to the board.
Throne presented it to the board at the Aug. 26 meeting.
‘We do not have a contract with Lake Orion or any other district,? Throne explained. ‘It’s just sort of been an unwritten agreement between districts that when a homeless student moves from one district to another, districts help with that transportation and at the end of the year, that transportation (cost) is split.?
According to records, the district already paid Lake Orion $9,000 for reimbursement for these students, which was brought to the board in 2014 by former Superintendent Dr. William Skilling.
However, the actual invoice was for $36,000 and Orion wants Oxford to pay an additional $9,000.
‘From my perspective (based on) what I’ve been able to find, I think Bill thought the original invoice was $18,000 and so his recommendation was to pay half of that which was $9,000,? Throne said. ‘What I am bringing you to tonight is actually the other half of the half of the original invoice of $36,000.?
The board denied the motion in a 5-0 vote. Board President Jim Reis and Trustee Mike Schweig were absent.
Board Treasurer Dan D’Alessandro asked if $36,000 was a reasonable amount to transport seven students for a school year?
‘If that’s the case, then how much does it cost to transport an entire school district?? D’Alessandro asked.
‘Is it reasonable? That’s up for debate, obviously,? Barna responded. ‘They have a very detailed cost they submitted previously. It is a high price for only seven students for an entire year. I agree.?
‘My thinking is, it is what it is and it is a bill that was submitted to us a few years ago,? he added.
Barna agreed that he thought it was an issue of miscommunication between the two districts.
‘When Dr. Skilling presented it to us, I specifically remember him saying $18,000,? D’Alessandro said. ‘The reason I remember him saying that is because I thought that was a lot of money. Now, it’s doubled.?
As the Homeless Liasion for the district, Denise Sweat, associate superintendent of student services, explained when a student is identified as homeless, the districts have to work together to transport that child.
?(If) you are living in Oxford and your family loses their home and they move to Lake Orion, (it’s) no fault of that child, (so) the McKinny-Vento law says you need to provide stability for that child and that child can remain in Oxford (schools),? she said.
Sweat gave an example she worked out with the Clarkston school district last year in which Oxford transported the student in the morning and Clarkston transported the student home in the afternoon.
‘No money was exchanged between the two districts,? she said.
Sweat cited another example where they had students who had moved to Pontiac and they had to pay a cab company to transport them.
‘The cab company billed Pontiac one week and Oxford one week,? she said.
The problem with the Orion situation, Sweat pointed out, was Oxford was unaware that there were homeless students living in Lake Orion until they received an invoice at the end of last year. She said the original invoice for $36,0000 was sent to both herself and former Controller Fred Shuback.
Trustee Mark Stepek was upset that Orion never communicated with Oxford about the situation.
‘Why wouldn’t Lake Orion come to us and tell us that we have seven students in our district that are homeless,? he asked. ‘Why would they (just) send us a bill at the end of the year? That’s what I have a problem with.?
D’Alessandro said he wasn’t comfortable that they didn’t have an agreement in place.
‘Whether it’s Lake Orion, Clarkston, Lapeer, it doesn’t matter, I would like to see us, as a district, put something in place where we do a reciprocal, you pay for the ‘to? and we pay for the ‘from,?? he added. ‘I would like to put something like that in place.?
Throne explained they don’t have a written contract because every situation is different and may require a different mode of transportation or type of agreement.
‘But I hear your concern and I understand that concern, too,? he told D’Alessandro. ‘I guess from my perspective, I told Marion and gave her my word that I would bring this back to you and discuss it. I think that’s why we don’t have contracts because one, it doesn’t happen all the time and two, every situation is different, so we just sort of work it out.?
Sweat said it’s called a ‘transportation agreement.?
‘It’s not a contract that you think of,? she said. ‘It’s a transportation agreement (that) states what’s going to happen and both districts sign off on it.?
Trustee Kim Shumaker pointed out that according an October, 1, 2014 invoice from Lake Orion, they only wanted 50 percent of $18,000. She also took issue with the fact that Orion never discussed the issue with Oxford and that both Skilling and Shuback who dealt with the issue are no longer with the district.
‘Those are the people that dealt with this late last year. Now, all of the sudden we have two new folks and we have a superintendent in another district that now wants more money,? Shumaker said. ‘I have a real issue with that.?
She noted that ‘it was all very clear? the number that Oxford was agreeing to pay half of. ‘If that number wasn’t right, (they) needed to come back and say, ‘Whoa, the original was $36,000, which means you owe $18,000? not ($9,000),?? she added. ‘I find it very unprofessional and I’m extremely concerned with (Lake Orion) coming to us now for another $9,000.?
After their vote to deny the request, Stepek said he’d welcome Lake Orion to come present the district’s case before the board if they wanted to.
‘I’d be open to that,? he said.