Burt Township School District
| Burt Township Schools | |
|---|---|
.png) Old school building in Grand Marais, early 1900s | |
| Address | |
27 Colwell Avenue
Alger CountyGrand Marais, Michigan 49839 United States | |
| District information | |
| Grades | KG – 12 |
| Established | 1885 |
| Students and staff | |
| Students | 33 |
| Teachers | 6.35 |
| Student–teacher ratio | 5.2[1] |
| Other information | |
| Website | Official Website |
Burt Township Schools is a school district headquartered in Grand Marais, Michigan.[2] The district serves the residents of Burt Township, Alger County, Michigan, an area covering 238.57 square miles in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.[3]
The district has a single school building, with elementary on the first floor and secondary on the second floor.[4][5]
History
The district's history dates to 1885 when a small school was built in Grand Marais serving 50 students. As the area boomed in the early 1900s, the district's attendance grew to 520 students in 1905. The current school building, originally known as Grand Marais High School, was completed in 1929 at a cost of $125,000.[6] The building is a two-story brick structure overlooking Lake Superior. It has high ceilings and oak-trimmed interiors.[7] In 1936, The Escanaba Daily Press touted the district's "modern public school system, which offers the children of the community educational advantages comparable to those offered by other cities in the Upper Peninsula."[8]
As the area's population declined in the late 20th century, so too did the school's attendance.[6] As of 2007, the school attendance stood at approximately 70 students from kindergarten through 12th grade.[9] By 2015, attendance had declined to 30 students.[6]
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The Burt Township Schools also own a 1,300-acre school forest adjacent to Lake Superior and bordering on the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.[6]
In 1954, the Burt Township School received an award from the Northern Michigan Sportsmen's Association for its outstanding conservation education program.[10]
Beginning in 1983, the school district implemented a novel telephone teaching program. The program, which included microphones and electronic blackboards allowing students in Grand Marais and teachers in Marquette to remotely view each other's work, was funded with a $22,000 grant from the state and made it possible for students to participate in classes offered by the Marquette Public Schools in subjects including art, foreign languages, and advanced mathematics. At the time, it was the only school in Michigan to use telephone teaching.[7]
The school has also served other purposes, including the library serving the community at large and the gymnasium serving as a community recreation center.[7]
In 1984, the Burt Township school system spent more per pupil ($4,958) than any other school district in Michigan.[11] In 2007, the teachers' union voted to become 'local only' and disaffiliated with the National Education Association and the Michigan Education Association.[9] In 2018, the voters of the township approved a bond authorizing expenditure of approximately $1 million for maintenance of the school building.[12]
The district's future was called into question in 2019 by a proposed cut in a state program providing funding for school districts in remote areas. Governor Gretchen Whitmer used a line-item veto to eliminate the cut.[13][12]
References
- ^ "School Detail for Burt Township School". Common Core of Data, National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Contact Us." Burt Township Schools. Retrieved on July 21, 2018. "Burt Township Schools 27 Colwell Ave P.O. Box 338 Grand Marais, MI 49839"
- ^ "Square mileage of Michigan school districts, as of May 22, 2018" (PDF). State of Michigan. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ "Elementary." Burt Township Schools. Retrieved on July 21, 2018. "Our elementary school consists of grades Kindergarten through 5th grades and is housed on the first level of our school building."
- ^ "High School." Burt Township Schools. Retrieved on July 21, 2018. [...]students at Grand Marais High School, housed on the second level of our building,[...]
- ^ a b c d "About Us: Burt Township School History". Burt Township School District. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c Thomas BeVier (March 25, 1986). "Telephone transmits lessons to UP school". Detroit Free Press. p. 7D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Grand Marais High School". The Escanaba Daily Press. May 9, 1936 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Burt Township teachers vote out MEA, NEA". Michigan Education Report. Mackinac Center for Public Policy. August 15, 2007.
- ^ "Conservation Education Programs Included In Curriculums of Upper Peninsula Schools". The Escanaba Press. October 1, 1954 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "School outlay rise smallest in decade". Lansing State Journal. March 29, 1984. p. 5B – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Whitmer's vetoes "crippling" small northern Michigan school districts". ABC 10 UP. October 2, 2019.
- ^ "State budget cuts could mean the end for Burt Township Schools". TV 6: Upper Peninsula Source. October 3, 2019.