I’m reasonable with trying to understand all facets of an issue and I am responsible with the district funds. How do you fund the capital improvements that are necessary and how do you deal with declining enrollment? When they saw what our needs were, the majority of people said they understood what we’re asking for. I think it’s really important we repair these schools. No. My opponents are preying on people’s fear that all of their money is going to disappear if they vote for this bond. Communications, minors in Journalism … 1 challenge is our schools are in a terrible state of disrepair. We’re taking $200 a year and we’re giving it back to you in maintaining your property value. I didn’t move here for that. There’s a core group, no matter what you do, they don’t like a tax increase. It’s an embarrassment to have the schools so obsolete. I believe a combination of addressing the structural enrollment issue, looking at ways to efficiently optimize spending and in parallel investigating innovative revenue streams to increase quality of education is a much more well-thought-out plan than what is currently proposed. Vote Cynthia M. Douglas for Grosse Pointe Public School Board. Our speaker – Dr. Alexander Riegel, minister of the Grosse Pointe Unitarian Church – shared the benefits of articulating a positive vision of diversity, which should serve as the foundation of a new understanding of our common humanity. That’s what I want to do; I just want to help and I think I can do that with my experience. Whether the bond passes or not,  I will be able to take my expertise over 20 years of government contracting and business law to try and help. DMCA NoticesNewspaper web site content management software and services. In 2008, the Grosse Pointe Democratic Club opened its first campaign office on Mack Avenue in Detroit, across from the Grosse Pointes, thanks to a fundraiser at a house in Grosse Pointe … Email the Board. You’d be much closer, but you would never get to the point where you could fully fund it through a sinking fund. Education: B.A., Hope College; M.B.A., University of Detroit, Occupation/Professional Background: Retired in 2016 as GPPSS Deputy Superintendent (37 years in public education finance). I think that my legal skills and my military experience have given me a unique position on the board over the years as a person that can bring people together and get consensus. 16980 Kercheval Ave • McCourt Building • Grosse Pointe, MI 48230 • 313.882.6900 • Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, By We have great teachers and we want to make sure we can continue to hire great teachers. I moved here in part because of the great community and the great schools. I think I’m well suited. Maybe we need to reconfigure how we do schools. If the bond doesn’t pass, what I would hope to happen is they need to get subject-matter experts in place to do an assessment, to look at the declining enrollment. Year after year they were balancing budgets with textbooks and teacher salaries and paying the electric bill and meanwhile the boilers were getting older and more expensive to repair and run. Support for Full Circle, Viet Nam Veterans of America, American Cancer Society, Grosse Pointe Old Devils, Racing for Kids and National Parks Foundation. Volunteer organizations: Vice president and policy chair, Grosse Pointe Public School System Board of Education; member of the Michigan Association of School Boards; member of the GPPSS strategic planning committee; member of the selection committee for the Grosse Pointe North principal; member of the GPPSS Health Education Advisory Board. Once we do that, we can address our other big problem, which is our aging buildings and the repair and maintenance that needs to be done. The superintendent needs to enact a cost-cutting, waste reduction of 5 to 6 percent to come up with the $10 million they all claim is required to maintain our buildings. That’s what the, I hope the bond issue passes on Nov. 6, because the needed funds would provide a better, more stable learning environment for our kids. My 35 years of business experience as an engineer, project manager and project superintendent make me uniquely qualified. Ads supporting her campaign were placed in the September 24, 2020 edition of the Grosse Pointe News by local PAC GP Taxpayers for Education. The responsible residents I know are voting for the bond. All the alternatives have been looked at. It wouldn’t have the same dramatic effect. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The breakdown is $7 million in contingency fees; $6 million in on-site project management; $6 million in professional fees; and $8 million in architectural service fees. Cynthia M. Douglas is a candidate for Grosse Pointe Public School Board. The bitter race for the Grosse Pointe Board of Education appears to have sealed the fate of two elementary schools closed last year as a cost-cutting move. October 18, 2018. Candidates were asked, in 150 words or fewer, to state the top items they wish to accomplish if elected and how they would go about accomplishing them. However the numbers shake out, the school district has a budget this year of $103 million. You have declining enrollment. If the bond doesn’t pass, I think the administration would have to come back and review what community members said and come up with another plan to both address the community’s concerns and solve the problem of our buildings. (Note: Due to an increase in mail-in voting, clerks are expecting delayed results, up to … Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population . She is a … There are communities you can live where they don’t have those things and they don’t have high taxes. Copyright © 2017 - 2021 Grosse Pointe News. We can’t wait any longer to do work on them to keep them dry, warm and safe places to learn. That is because of determined efforts on the board’s part to find savings where we can and be responsible with taxpayers’ money. The entire board agrees we should sell 389 St. Clair, but it’s not the easiest building to sell. You need to have those things. The Grosse Pointe Democratic Club released its endorsements Sept. 18. I’m a realistic person and I’ve been inside our schools and I toured the buildings and I went into the classrooms and behind the classrooms and in the bathrooms. We’re not taking all your money. The main example I could provide is there are over $27 million in fees contained within the bond with absolutely zero dollars actually going into schools. Once we figure out a plan for the declining enrollment, then we can decide which buildings to repair, get defined scopes of work and competitive bids. You’d be much closer, but you would never get to the point where you could fully fund it through a sinking fund. The Gr osse Pointe Public School System offers a tradition of excellence, preparing students to learn and lead in an educational setting that encourages them to reach th eir full potential. Strong schools will attract more families to Grosse Pointe, helping our school enrollment. Six of them have gone completely through the school system and my last three children are enrolled at Pierce Middle School. My professional experience includes acting as project manager responsible for developing plant capital installation needs, associated budgets and the actual installation during plant shutdowns. For example, the medical and automotive industries both have well-paying jobs that go unfilled due to lack of skilled resources. The district’s success is important to attract families and maintain or improve home values. Why aren’t these repairs being made? Our staff, students and community all contribute to this healthy learning environment. I’ve managed people in Ohio, Boston, Texas, California. Seven candidates present their case why voters should select them to fill three vacant seats on the Grosse Pointe Public School System Board of Education at the ballot box Tuesday, Nov. 6. Their recommended candidates are Kathleen Abke, David Brumbaugh, Cynthia Douglas and Colleen Worden for the four-year term and Joseph Herd for the two-year term.