Several different techniques are being used to save money, put money in bank
ATLANTA, MI -- One Northern Michigan school district gets an "A" for effort!
Atlanta schools are making big strides to get back on track despite budget cuts.
Atlanta Public Schools were almost forced to close its doors a couple of years ago.
Now, school administrators say they've made a complete turn-around.
They’ve somewhat went against the grain with moving to a four-day school week.
But the real story is the people who have stepped up to the plate.
Volunteers and team work have this school moving in the right direction.
Terri Chapman has been back in the classroom in at Atlanta Schools for two years now. Before that, she was a teacher in Atlanta district for 26 years before retiring.
"In order to make our program work, I have to be here," said Chapman.
The difference? The second time around, she's volunteering for more than five hours a day.
“Feeling like I'm making a difference somehow, at least with the younger students," said Chapman.
A combination of being retired for a year, restlessness, and a school district in dire need of any help they could get, she decided to come back to school and teach. She's paid for 12 and a half hours a week, but for the rest of the hours that help equal 40, it's all on her time.
“It's still mind-boggling how the whole team and the community has gotten together to work towards this," said Teresa Stauffer.
Teresa Stauffer took over Superintendent duties two years ago, when the school was in shambles. The district had $36,000 dollars cash on hand and was on the brink of consolidation. But changes were made. The school went to a four day week with hopes of saving $25,000 dollars a semester. They saved three-times that. Cost-cutting measures, like turning lights off, have also saved a bundle of money. But it's the volunteers, individuals who want the district to stay afloat, who have helped save a lot of money. The district now has $380,000 in the bank.
“Total 360 from where we were a couple years ago, oh yes," said Stauffer. "A lot of our savings is based on our volunteers, a lot of it is."
Whether it's the elementary art teacher, a volunteer, the math curriculum advisor, a volunteer, or literacy teacher Terri Chapman, a volunteer, it's all keeping the district alive.
“Somehow, it seems like we can pull through, we're tenacious enough to get through these bad times," said Chapman.
The Superintendent says there are several volunteers who help out, from teachers, to some coaches.
Lawn care is also completely done by volunteers, a savings that works to be about $14,000 a year.
The district hasn't reached its goal yet. School leaders want to have at least $580,000 in the bank to cover major costs.
