--LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily W nesday, March 18, 1998 - 5 .A2 City Council surveys citizens on funds dispersal Lines in the Sand Study examines benefits of single- sex education By Peter Meyers Daily Staff Reportcr The Ann Arbor City Council is spending $50,000 to survey every household in the city, including student residences, to find out how they think city money should be spent. Despite the fact that most University students reside in Ann Arbor temporar- ily and many live in campus housing sand therefore don't pay property taxes, Councilmember Chris Kolb (D-5th Ward) said student responses are still valuable to the survey. "I believe that students are residents of the city and that hearing from those households is just as important,' Kolb said. The survey will help city coun- cilmembers decide where to cut ser- vices or garner new funds, as decreas- ing property tax revenues could put constraints on the budget in the future, said Councilmember Tobi Hanna- Davies (D- Ist Ward). In 1994, the state Legislature passed Proposal A, which prevents cities from reassessing properties so that they can be taxed at their actual value. Unless properties are sold, their official taxable value will increase at or below the rate of inflation. "Because of Proposal A, property tax revenues are decreasing. Gradually, city revenues are not going to keep up with inflation," Hanna-Davies said. "It also depends on whether the University purchases significant amounts of land or not!' Hanna-Davies said. University property is not subject to the property tax, so additional University property will reduce the city's tax base. S['Hanna-Davies said the survey is not expected to have much of an effect on the $75 million budget proposal forthe 1998- 99 budget, which will be discussed by council on April 20. It would only affect this budget "if there's some information (on spending) we didn't anticipate." "We have a balanced budget every year!' Hanna-Davies said. "It's impor- tant to know that this is not a crisis.: Alan Burns, the city budget director, said that, in general, citizens don't know about how much money the city spends or where it all goes. "My view is that citizens probably have a very limited view of what the budget is like! Burns said. To alleviate this, the survey includes detailed in'or- mation about the annual cost of each city service - from garbage collection to city park maintenance. City Administrator Neil Berlin said all the completed surveys are expected to be returned to the city within the next two weeks. The results are scheduled to be analyzed before council reviews the budget. City officials conducting the survey are concerned that it only will be returned by certain segments of the Ann Arbor population. "I think its more likely that people who enjoy form-filling -- academical- ly oriented people - --will fill it out," I lanna-Davies said. To ensure that the results of the survey are accurate, the city has contracted the University's Institute for Social Research to conduct a vaidation study. Steven Heeringa, the director of the division of surveys at the ISR, said this limited study will randomly send 1,200 Ann Arbor homes altered questionnaires that will use more forceful language to encourage their recipients to return them. Kolb said the city council would receive an analysis of both the larger survey and the validation survey. Kolb said similar surveys done in other com- munities have usually found the results of the two questionnaires closely mirror one another. * AAUW Educational Foundation study challenges traditional view of K-12 education By Christine M. Paik Daily Staff Reporter The prevalent view that K-12 sin- gle-sex education for girls is better than .coeducation is being chal- lenged by prominent scholars in the field, according to a new study by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation. Education Prof. Valerie I ce was among the 15 researchers who par- ticipated in the roundtable discus- he report shows mixed results:' I )aag saai "ome findings show n benefI;s.of i, le-sex education for fnmales. some do. our report makes he coiclusion that oter factors may x crx xel be contributing . I SA 'irst -year student Kathy- A ugust, x ho attended an fenile high school for four years, said she enjoyed her experience . both in terms of academics aid social life. 'in the long run, it was probably beter for me personally." August said. "Appceirance isn't an issue, and SoI just concentrate on learning. The classroom is more open, and you can ask questions and not feI nilmidated." Arugust said :: N . L }4S. ._ uu... ..... . . 4': :iv . '-s.' SN sion that was the report. Lee con- tributed her paper, titled "Is Single - Sex S e c o n d a r y Schooling a Solution to the Problem of G e ni d e r Inequity'?' Lee would not comment on the study. Pamela Haag, senior research associate for the A A U W E d u c at i on a I Foundation, said t fOLuncdation of the "Youfg can't t "o ftsay overall or.i gene ral tha single-sex environment work betterfo girls.- Pamela Naagi Senior Research Associate for AAUW Educational Foundation the all-female atmoj- phere encouraged her fellow students to participate in classroom discus- s0iL. "I could see that someg irls weren't as intimildated," Aug"ust said. "They felt they were able to speak freely, and they didn't W orry about making an impression." LSA first-year stU- dent Anne Ward said the environment in her all-female school raised her self- ALSQN CANTER/Daily The Loseling Monks construct a one-day mandala sand painting at the Jewel Heart Store in Ann Arbor yesterday. Fatalities often involved alcohol REGET Continued from Page 1 ence on the board would ensure that student concerns are addressed. "By not having a student regent, we're leaving the administration and the regents unchecked," said Ferris Hussein, an LSA sophomore and independent candidate running for MSA president. "These regents are the CEOs of corporations and other officials. Who are they to run our school'?" Regent Shirley McFee (R-Battle Creek) said she would not accede to stu-dents'demaids for atotuing student regent. "I need to know how the students propose to fit a student on the Board of Regents," McFee said. "I need to know what their authority would be. I would be against haxing a student (regent) with full power unless the student was clected to the board.' Attempts to pass a bill in the state L egislature to aniend the state constitu- tion to allow for student representation on the board will probably fail. said TFrent Thompson, an LSA junior run- iiing, for MSA president on lthe Students' Party ticket. Tihe state ballot proposal is the only option remainin,, Thompson said. "We have tried the lecislative process, Thompson said. "This is the only xay we can get a student regent. I think it's one of the most important things MSA will ever do." Other candidates said the decision to raise student fees ultimately resides in the hands of voters today and tomor- row. "T he students need to decide whether they feel the fee increase is something that wi II benefit their education:' said Albert Garcia. an L SA sophomore run- ning as an independent candidate for MSA vice president. "Students should only vote yes or no if they truly under- stand the importance of having a regent." Student Recent Task Force leaders, wxho are pushing the fee increase, main- tain that the Urniversity Board of' Regents affects every aspect of stu- dents'educations. "The University is where wxe go to school, said SA sophionmore Brai E lias, an MSA representative. "Our lives, in no small part. are governed by the regents. Every other Big Ten school gives students the chance to govern their lives and the University." the popular belief that single-sex education is better for female stu- dents, and that "the benefits are very conditional." "There has been a policy debate, which tends to generalize about the research," Haag said. "You can't just say overall or in general that single- sex environments work better for girls." The report includes findings that contradict previous beliefs of sing(le- sex education. It concludes that sin- ic-sex environmenits do not eimi hate sexism and that elements of' a good education, such as small class- es and focused curriculum, produce successful students - regardless of' whether they attended single-sex or coeducational schools. lie study questions esteemni. "As fmr as arades are concerned, I don't think goiig to an all-girls school really made a difference:' Ward said: But I think I did gain more confi- deuce. I feel that I wasn't judged as much.' Ward said the study's findirqgs, which stated that the benefits of sin- gle-sex education for females varied dependiing on the student; seem cor- rect. "It really does depend on the per- son. " ard said. "Where's the type of p~erson that f'eels comfortable' not matter xxwhat group they're in, and then there are those that are shy aroutd the other sex. "I was more timid, and going to an all girls environment brought me out of my shell,' Ward said. LANSING (AP) - The most com- prehensive study of Michigan's snow- mobilers in two decades found that alcohol played a part in the deaths of more than half of those who died in accidents between 1993 and 1997. It also found that snowmobile riders supported stronger safety measures, *ncluding more training programs and tougher law enforcement. But most said they were not worried about riding on public roads - even though almost half the people who died in snowmobile accidents died on coun- ty or state roads. The study by Michigan State University researchers polled 1,508 res- idents and out-of-state visitors who bought state snowmobile trail permits in 1995 and 1996. It also looked at 147 Sleaths in snowmobile accidents from the end of 1993 to the spring of 1997. Of those deaths, 55 percent involved alcohol, according to police reports. So far this winter, 47 percent of deaths from snowmobile accidents have involved alcohol, said Department of Natural Resources Lt. Suzanne Koppelo. By comparison, 36 percent of high- way deaths in 1996 were alcohol-relat- ed. Koppelo said part of the difference could be explained by the inherent safe- ty features in an automobile. "At least in a car, you're afforded some protection, particularly in newer models with air bags," she said. "On snowmobiles, it's you and whatever object you collide with at whatever speed that determines your luck." This year's mild winter has done lit- tle to reduce snowmobile fatalities. Koppelo said 38 people had died in snowmobile accidents this season; 11 people have been killed since March 9. "It appears everyone was anxious to get out for the last snow of the season, and obviously forgot the rules of the road," she said. Most of the fatal wrecks studied in the report - 61 percent -- involved one snowmobile, and 48 percent took place on public roads rather than snow- mobile trails. 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