2. Why the panic? Problem Why You Should Care Michigan cutting more funds from public schools Elimination of programs and jobs Future Teachers Michigan Residents
3. Michigan has finances? Provides 80% of funding $2.7 billion in the red Budget cut of $1.8 billion needed 100 out of 551 districts overspent in 2009 2.9% or $382 million drop in funding Author: Matthileo
4. Who gets the blame? Recession Less revenue Overspending Minimal movement of funds Proposal A Districts have little control “School of Choice” http://www.flickr.com/photos/pfala/2402698820/
5. What is Proposal A? 1994 Funding responsibility on state Sales tax 6% Personal Income tax 4.4% State educational property tax GOAL: Change Foundation Allowance for education provided by state and fiscal differences between districts
6. What does Proposal A do for us? The Good 1994: 32 states better funding distribution 2000: 17 states 2004: Per pupil spending above national average Higher test scores The not so Good Slowdown in Revenue General Fund to Spending Levels Districts cannot propose additional taxes School of Choice effects
10. What is being done? Cutting/combining areas of government Legislation Media attention Other locations Author: Travelin’ John
11. Where is our government at? 2010 budget bills: passed Temporary Budget Does not agree, no discussion “We are not pulling together to protect those things most needed to grow a healthy state, and one of those things is excellence in public education.” -Albert Garrett, president of Michigan Council 25
19. REFERENCES Hornbeck, M., & Bouffard, K. (2009, September 24). State's budget ax hits schools. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from http://www.detnews.com/article/20090924/POLITICS02/909240429/State-s-budget-ax-hits-schools Mattoon, R. (2004, June). School funding ten years after Michigan's proposal A: Does equity equal adequacy?. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3631/is_200406/ai_n9433961/?tag=content;col1 Williams, C., & Bouffard, K. (2008, November 1). School funding ten years after Michigan Parents Consider Home the Best School of Choice for Them. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from http://www.heartland.org/publications/school%20reform/article/24067/Michigan_Parents_Consider_Home_the_Best_School_of_Choice_for_Them.html Luke, P. (2009, October 9). State lawmakers settle funding for K-12 schools, cuts per pupil spending by $165. Retrieved October 26, 2009, from http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/10/state_lawmakers_settle_funding.htmlhttp://www.mlive.com/michigan-job-search/index.ssf/2009/10/top_union_official_in_michigan_says_k-12.html Martin, T. (2009, October 23). Granholm rallies school leaders to seek more money, Retrieved October 26, 2009, from http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/granholm-rallies-school-leaders-to-seek-more-money-1.1543684
Editor's Notes
Less classes being offered, less art, music, wood shop, classes that are not “necessary” being cut. Higher unemployment.Harder to get a job when cutting teachers. Larger class sizes. Less pay? Increase in taxes, children go to school
1. Michigan’s government is responsible for nearly 80% of school funding. 2. Michigan’s government is $2.7 billion in the hole.3. Need to cut out $1.8 in current budget, immediately. 4. About 100 out of 551 districts in Michigan overspent due to lack of funding. This number is only going to rise with more cuts.5. Less revenue coming into state means more money cut from budgets. This drop is from 2009 fiscal year.
Less money coming in means less money to send out.Spending too much money on government level and personal level.Because government is in red, transferring of money is not allowed. What you have/don’t have is what it is.Government makes decisions on who gets money and how much. Minimal flexibility with what you can ask the district residents for. Allows students to switch to another district, taking funding with them. Lowering enrollment, whether you have 2 students or 32 students, still have “overhead” costs. Have to heat rooms, have to have teachers, funding is not brought in from somewhere else.
Michigan adopted proposal A in 1994.Constitutional Amendment on school finance, shift funding responsibility from schools to the state.Sales tax increase from 4-6%Cutting personal income tax from 4.6-4.4%State educational property taskFoundation Allowance sets minimum per pupil spending level on students, states assist when cannot be met.
Better per pupil funding distribution.Funding levels and standard significantly higher than national average. Higher test scores, better materials and schools, better funding. When income slows, makes it difficult to get funding to schools when nothing is there to give.When shortage of education funds existed, transfer money from general fund. Now that Michigan is in the red, transfers are no longer allowed. Districts, with exception of 35, can only propose millages for facility needs. When a student leaves a district, funding follows that student. With Proposal A, if enrollment drops, the school has to solve the shortage of income on their own.
1. Public schools lost $127-300 per pupil.2. 25% of funding cut in early childhood grants. Reductions in math/science centers, eliminations of programs (bus inspections and “small high schools” initiative).3. Intermediate, Special Education, vocational, and others cut $36.3 million.
1. Students may have to change buildings and possibly districts.2. Less teachers, more students per class, less one on one.3. Schools have say in what programs are eliminated, elimination needed nonetheless. 4. With little special education funding, many parents pulling kids out to better serve their children’s needs.
Not only cutting from schools; state police, government jobs, and considering doctor tax to pay for Medicaid (Between 1.7-4%). Also passed the merging of the state Departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality.There are constantly being bills proposed, passed, and vetoed at the moment regarding this issue. Media having people send letters to voice their opinions, rallies, and radio talksGranholm urges schools to find money in other places. Apply for federal grants and take advantage of everything that is being offered.
Although the 2010 budgets have been passed, the senate will not send quite a few of them to Granholm in fear that she will veto them to “free up” money for programs that have been cut. (Michigan Promise and aid to local governments).Even though, fiscal year 2010 started October 1, Michigan is on a temporary budget until October 31.Granholm does not agree with a number of the legislative cuts but rather than discussing concerns or alternate solutions, nothing is being communicated.
Budget cuts are impacted heavily by Proposal A, School of Choice, and the economy.Districts only control 20% of funding, state restricts methods of getting that funding. Only can tax for facilities.Funding follows the students. Still have overhead costs that must be paid, money does not get sent to a school simply because their enrollment is down.For money to go out into the schools, some sort of revenue has to be coming in. Altering bills, adding new funds, all of this takes time. Economy is unpredictable so it is difficult to gauge how much money you will have coming in for the following year.
This is something that is been going on for quite some time. It is not going to go away overnight and is constantly changing.$60 million in college aid, state police laid off, college funding decreased .4%Less job opportunitiesLarger class sizes, more effort, bigger time commitment, more stressSpecifics such as art, music, and other programs may not be offered.
