The importance of obtaining “qualified status” each year from the Michigan Department of Treasury cannot be overemphasized. School districts, intermediate school districts, and public school academies that obtain qualified status are able to issue new bonds and notes faster and pay lower filing fees to the State of Michigan. Schools...
Does your school currently have a summer tax levy of either 50% or 100%? Does your school wish to continue levying summer taxes for the 2018 tax year? If the answer to both questions is “yes,” then your school’s board of education must adopt a resolution to continue the summer tax levy and file a copy of that resolution with each...
On September 15, 2017, the Michigan Department of Treasury notified all public employers of the “hard cap” contribution limits under the Publicly Funded Health Insurance Contribution Act for medical benefit plans renewing after January 1, 2018. The 2018 cap amounts were increased by 3.4%. The adjustment is based on the change in the medical care component of the consumer price index for the previous 12-month period.
For medical benefit plan coverage years beginning on or after January...
The Michigan Department of Education recently announced the new threshold amount at which school districts, intermediate school districts, and public school academies must competitively bid for: (1) labor and materials for construction projects (Section 1267 of the Revised School Code (RSC)); and (2) the purchase of supplies, materials, and equipment (Sections 623a and 1274 of the RSC). For the 2017-18 fiscal year, the competitive bid threshold amount is $23,881.
Sections 1267, 623a,...
The Fire Prevention Code requires that local school districts, ISDs, and PSAs that operate any grades from kindergarten to grade 12 conduct various school safety drills throughout the school year. These drills include:
Throughout the school year, we receive numerous questions about the appropriate language for, and how to implement, board policies and procedures that apply to students. Below are examples of some student-related board policies that should be in place to ensure a successful start to the school year.
Student Discipline...
As reported in the July 2017 edition of School Law Notes, local school districts, ISDs, and PSAs are required to implement a comprehensive seclusion and restraint training framework in accordance with Michigan Department of Education (MDE) guidelines that includes: (1) awareness training for all school personnel who have...
On February 22, 2017, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education jointly released a new “Dear Colleague Letter” (DCL) rescinding previous guidance about transgender students. The DCL states that the previous guidance, which instructed schools to allow students to access sex-segregated facilities based on gender identity, will not...
As part of our service to retainer clients, Thrun Law Firm, P.C., will host its annual client seminar at five locations this spring. Our spring seminars are provided at no cost to our retainer clients. The registration materials and other event details are attached. You may register online at:
...
On March 22, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a student’s IEP must be “reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances” to satisfy a school’s obligation to provide students with disabilities a free appropriate public education. Endrew F. v Douglas County Sch Dist, RE-1, No. 15-827 (March 22, 2017). The decision clarifies a 35-year-old legal standard adopted by the Court in Bd of Ed of Hendrick Hudson...