As many as 141 Grand Rapids Public Schools teachers could be cut to balance budget - mLive

State Senate Republicans propose steep spending cuts, including elimination of Michigan Promise scholarships - mLive

GRPS School Board approves budget cuts - WZZM 13

95 teachers to be eliminated - News Channel 3

Grand Rapids schools OK cutting 95 teaching jobs - WLNS Channel 6

GRPS To Eliminate 95 Teachers And More Than 30 Staff Members - Michigan Radio

Grand Rapids Board of Education is vowing to open up for more public input.  Check out the article here.

Last week Grand Rapids released the city budget.  Many programs and budgets were cut including money for GRPS.  The articles below contain information about the cuts, and how the GRPS budget will be affected.

GRPS Strapped for Cash

Grand Rapids Public Schools propose cuts due to funding shortages

Impending budget plunge could force deeper cuts in staff, hours at Grand Rapids schools

GRPS proposes cuts to cover $15M gap

The League of Women Voters Grand Rapids is committed to providing our members news about the Grand Rapids Public Schools.  We will be posting news links and updates on this page regularly.  Click on the RSS link above or check back here often to see what is happening in our public schools. 

The Michigan Election Reform Alliance (MERA) has alerted us that thousands of Michigan voters have been put on a "voter cancellation list" based on mail marked undeliverable. Following the November 2008 election, these voters may have been removed from the state voter rolls and will therefore be ineligible to vote in future elections.

MERA has provided a flyer (PDF) with more information, and you can check to see if your name may have been removed at www.advanceproject.org/michiganvoters. Please share this with other voters who may have been affected by this change.

Just as the local League returns to Grand Rapids, the national League is celebrating its 88th birthday! Nearly 150,000 members around the country continue to support the League in its effort to increase citizen participation in democracy and community life. Read more from the national League >> 

The League of Women Voters Grand Rapids is announcing the launch of We Vote, a neighborhood-focused, voter participation project that will mark the local rebirth of the League of Women Voters.

We Vote is a nonpartisan, collaborative effort to increase awareness of, information about, and participation in the May 6, 2008 Grand Rapids Public Schools Board of Education election.

“Voting in the school board election is one of the most local, powerful ways our community can stand behind issues that matter. The League believes voting is a personal tool for action among residents and a collective voice for communities. And that voice starts at the neighborhood level, where our schools are often the centerpiece of community life,” said Emily Malloy, co-leader of the We Vote project.

“School board candidates are individuals who, if elected, will have an incredible impact on the community issues related to schools—from educational achievement to safety to job training. The school board election should be a priority for every community member who cares about growth and opportunity in Grand Rapids,” said Michele McIsaac, co-leader of the We Vote project.

Nearly a dozen community partners have committed to participate in We Vote, including the Dyer-Ives Foundation, Nokomis Foundation, and the Grand Rapids Public Schools. Additional partners include: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Community Research Institute at the Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Girl Scouts of Michigan Trails, Grand Rapids Community Media Center and the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan.

We Vote will be officially launched on Wednesday, February 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Wealthy Street Theatre. The event is open to the public and free. Community members and members of the media are invited to attend to learn more about the League, the We Vote project, and volunteer opportunities available between now and through the May election. The Wealthy Street Theatre is located
at 1130 Wealthy Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506.

For nearly 90 years, the League of Women Voters has been a nonpartisan voice for citizen participation in government. We work with and for our local community to discover the power of voting and the potential for change through democracy.