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October 15, 2009 |
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Schools
are being held hostage to the outrageous antics and games with the school budget.
Yesterday the state treasurer sent a memo to Gov. Granholm indicating that the
predicted shortfall in the School Aid Fund (SAF) was much larger than expected.
According to the memo, Treasury now estimates that the shortfall will be approximately
$264 million for fiscal year 2009-10. To view the memo, click
here.
To put that in perspective, that’s an additional $165 per
pupil reduction on top of the $165 cut that the legislature passed last week.
Without serious action by the legislature and governor in coming months, schools
face total cuts of $330 per pupil.
It’s an understatement to say
that this is a devastating blow to public education. The legislature and governor
need to quit playing games and finalize a budget so schools can focus on student
achievement. Schools can’t absorb the magnitude of cuts without severe consequences
to students.
“It’s time the legislature gets serious about
educating the 1.6 million children in the state of Michigan,” said Kathy
Hayes, executive director of the Michigan Association of School Boards. “With
these types of cuts, it’s no longer possible for schools to offer high quality
programming. With the legislature disinvesting in public education, Michigan sends
a loud message that our future is no longer important.”
Districts
have already worked extremely hard to lower their expenses, and keeping districts
in limbo is an impediment to prudent planning. There’s a structural problem
with the revenue system in Michigan. Without long-term solutions to this problem,
we risk leaving generations of Michiganders behind. Our race to the top will be
irrelevant when we’re trapped in a sprint to the bottom.
For questions
please contact Don Wotruba
or Peter Spadafore. Visit
MASB’s online advocacy center—e-Vocate—to
contact your legislator.
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