GT Band gives Suttons Bay $183K

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The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians awarded nearly $1 million Monday to local agencies as part of its biannual 2 percent funding allocation. It will distribute $958,867.88 to 58 grant recipients.

The band is mandated to pay 2 percent of its video gaming revenue to local units of government, including public school districts. The Tribal Council received 100 applications requesting a total of $3,040,951.44 for the second half of 2011.

Top 5 grants

1. $150,280.28 to Suttons Bay Public Schools to fund the school's deficit.

2. $63,875 for a prisoner bed contract with Leelanau County Government to Government.

3. $55,000 to Suttons Bay Bingham Fire and Rescue to purchase a fire pumper/tanker.

4. $38,758.78 to the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners for the Father Fred Foundation.

5. $33,000 to the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners for the Goodwill Inn Homeless Shelter.

— From staff reports

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Mike Murray Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump

February 7, 2012

BY JAMES RUSSELL jrussell@record-eagle.com The Record Eagle Tue Feb 07, 2012, 07:19 AM EST

SUTTONS BAY — Suttons Bay Public Schools received a big boost from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, eliminating the threat of a state takeover.

The band awarded more than $183,000 to the Leelanau County school district as part of its 2 percent allocation funding. It was the tribe's largest of 58 grants for the second half of 2011.

The funds push the district's budget deficit under the 5 percent threshold, removing the risk of the state installing an emergency financial manager to take over operations.

"They helped us out so that we're not in the hole we were in before," said Superintendent Mike Murray. "To be fair to the Grand Traverse Band, they're not the whole community, and they shouldn't be the only ones to rescue the school. They are major contributors, but the staff is stepping up and the community is stepping up, too."

The district submitted an application to the tribe for $400,000 to offset a projected $550,000 deficit for the 2011-12 school year. About 170 Suttons Bay students are Grand Traverse Band members.

About $150,280 of the tribe's grant will go toward the district's general fund, $30,000 supports the indigenous language program, and $3,000 was awarded to the robotics team.

Murray turned to the community for help in January after staff members voted unanimously to pitch in $55,000 of their own money. To date, residents have matched the teachers' donations and contributed $55,000.

Gary Hoensheid and his wife Jana gave $10,000, and his former employer matched half of his gift for a total of $15,000.

"The school is the community, and the community is the school," Hoensheid said. "Charity begins at home, and Suttons Bay is our home."

Andrea Seeley and her partner at Insight Optometry, Randy U'Ren, donated $5,000. Seeley also sent an additional $2,000 on her own. She blames Lansing for the crisis, not administrators. She noted the Michigan Association of School Administrators just named Murray this region's "Superintendent of the Year."

"I think that when you have a school that is doing as well as our school is doing, with the regional superintendent of the year, you know we're doing things right," Seeley said. "To still not have enough money is just unacceptable."

Suttons Bay receives the base per-pupil funding of $6,846, much less than other Leelanau County schools. Enrollment dropped in recent years, leading to a state funding decline.

The district cut staff and outsourced areas such as transportation, janitorial and food services over the past two years. Last month, administrators laid off two media center specialists to save an additional $60,000.

The district also wants to expand online classes to make up for declining numbers and revenue.

Murray said Suttons Bay still faces a $200,000 deficit despite the grants, donations and layoffs. He's optimistic they'll raise enough to wipe out the remaining balance, and the focus on online learning should leave the district in better shape next year.

"If we can get the contributions from the community to match what the band did, we'll be in decent shape," he said.