Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Notes on PTSA Advocacy Day 2010 with some stats and some letters

PTSA Advocacy Day in Lansing was very successful!  Upon mulling over the most important ideas, I have come up with these:

I learned more about the State of Michigan Fiscal Agency May Revenue Conference which estimates that the School Aid Fund (SAF) has $300 million more in it at this time than had been anticipated in January of 2010.  Does this mean we are in the clear?  No!  We are now struggling with legislators who are looking at the School Aid Fund and considering raiding it to pay for other state services. 

Remember: The School Aid Fund receives money from several pots of money.

1. Sales Tax 42%
2. Income Tax 19%
3. 6 mills on all Property-State Property Tax 16%
4. Lottery 6%
5. Other taxes/Sin Taxes 10%
6. General Fund 15%

The general fund used to provide more funds to schools, but less has been going into the SAF from the general fund and the legislators are looking to raid the "surplus" of SAF to prop up the general fund.

We need to tell our legislators to leave the School Aid Fund alone and use it for K-12 education.


Hmmm...  We learned today that the states in the US have the highest proportion of adults with a 4 year college degree have the highest per capita income and have higher personal income and sales taxes.  Michigan ranks 37th in the proportion of college degrees, 39th in personal income and about the middle with tax burden.  Should we settle for "middle of the road" in all of these categories?

We need to ask our legislators to expand the sales tax to services in order to fully fund our schools.

Our schools are burdened with guessing how much money they will receive from the State of Michigan each year.  The school districts, including EGRPS, have to pass a balanced budget each June 30.  The State of Michigan doesn't have to pass a budget until October 1st.  The law recently changed and the school districts don't even receive money from the state for the new school year until October 20th.  I couldn't run my household budget wondering just how much money I will get in 3 months.

We need to ask our legislators to make the passage of the School Aid Fund a priority and to fully fund it by June 30, 2010 so that our schools can get their business done without guessing, borrowing and having mid-year cuts.

Take a look at the letters below.  Please consider pasting them into an email and sending them to our legislators.  The addresses are in the next column.  They do listen when they hear from us.  We need to work together!!  Thanks--Lucy Lafleur

Dear Senator Jansen--

I have learned that the School Aid Fund may have more money than anticipated in January 2010.  While this is very good news for our schools, I have also learned that some unwise decisions are being considered in Lansing regarding the utilization of these funds for areas of the budget that do not have to do with schools.  Please resist this and vote against the use of the School Aid fund for anything other than funding our K-12 public schools.

Thank you,


Dear Representative Hildenbrand--

I have learned that the School Aid Fund may have more money than anticipated in January 2010. While this is very good news for our schools, I have also learned that some unwise decisions are being considered in Lansing regarding the utilization of these funds for areas of the budget that do not have to do with schools. Please resist this and vote against the use of the School Aid fund for anything other than funding our K-12 public schools.


Thank you,