State of Michigan Board of Education's Bipartisan Recommendations for Education

State Board of Education Unanimously Adopts Balanced, Bi-Partisan Plan to Reform and Finance State's Education System

 

Contact: Martin Ackley, Director of Communications 517.241.4395

From the Michigan Department of Education website  www.michigan.gov/mde

  

May 11, 2010

  

LANSING - The State Board of Education unanimously adopted today a balanced and bi-partisan plan to reform, restructure and finance Michigan's education system, from early childhood education to post-secondary.

  

The State Board now will present the plan to the state Legislature, in accordance with the Board's state Constitutional responsibility to advise the state Legislature on the financial requirements for Michigan education and higher education.

  

"This is a comprehensive, balanced plan that is right for Michigan," said State Board Vice President John C. Austin, who led the development of the plan. "Education is the key investment for this state. Starting at birth, education is essential for our citizens and our state's economy."

  

 

The plan, Recommendations to Better Support Michigan's Education System: Revenues, Reforms and Restructuring, is a balance of broad education restructuring initiatives, as well as continued cost reductions and revenue increases.

 

State Board President Kathleen N. Straus stressed the urgency in which these reforms must be implemented. 

"We really have an emergency in Michigan," Straus said. "Many school districts have done what we've asked them to do - share services, share superintendents, and cut, cut, cut their budgets. Yet they're rewarded by getting more cuts in their state funding. This is destroying Michigan's education system."

 

 Straus stressed that public education is essential for the revival of Michigan's economy and its future.

 State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan said that he fully endorses the State Board plan. "This is a landmark plan," Flanagan said. "What makes it unique is that it's not pie-in-the-sky; it's a very balanced approach that can work."

  

The plan includes, among other things:

 

1. Universal preschool for all four-year-olds;
2. Mandated kindergarten for all children;
3. Keep the K-12 funding levels prior to the fiscal year 2010 cuts;
4. Strongly encourage districts to stop reducing the school year below 180 days;
5. Encourage schools to continue to innovate and explore innovations such as year-round schooling, and    alternative calendars that increase learning time and improve learning retention;
6. Yearly progress requirements for schools and districts;
7. Synch the state budget cycle with the budget cycle of local school districts, and a guarantee from the state that there be no mid-year pro-rated cuts in state funding;
8. Incentives to provide a post-secondary education opportunity for every child;
9. Urging local school districts to provide more education choices for their students by opening their own charter schools;
10. Create strong incentives for school districts to consolidate services, and if progress is not made, establish a district consolidation process
11. Move newly-hired public school employees to a defined contribution pension system;
12. Reform the health care benefit structures for school employees, consistent with the direction of reforms for all public employees;
13. Maximize the capture of an Internet Sales and Use Tax for Michigan;
14. Lower the state sales tax, and extend it to services;
15. Tax private pensions;
16. Reduce targeted tax credits and so-call tax loopholes; and
17. Implement a graduated income tax, taxing wealthier citizens at a higher rate, while reducing income tax rates for most citizens.

The State Board's plan was a culmination of working together in a bi-partisan manner that focused on the overall need to accomplish real change.

  

"This was an exercise in the way government should work," said State Board member Casandra Ulbrich. "I hope the Legislature can take a step back and take a lesson in how to work together.

  

"My only fear is that the Legislature will look at this plan and pull out only the things they like and ignore those they don't," Ulbrich added. "I hope they look at it in its entirety."

  

State Board member Carolyn Curtin confirmed the bi-partisan consensus process of the development of the plan. "We all have differences of opinion," she said. "Yet we were able to talk about it and get it to a place where we all could support it."

 

Letters to Senator Jansen and Representative Hildenbrand regarding revenue for schools

Mark Jansen SenMJansen@senate.michigan.gov;


Dear Senator Jansen--


Having listened to the severe budget cuts being made in my school district and having read in the newspaper about severe budget cuts in neighboring school districts, I feel very disappointed in my elected leaders. Over and over, we hear about how an educated workforce is the only solution to our state’s woes, yet the Legislature continues to cut both K-12 education and the universities. I am asking you, as my State Senator, to negotiate a budget that includes Governor Granholm’s proposal to lower the sales tax and expand it to services. This new revenue will put our public schools back on their feet. This action must be done before the beginning of the school’s fiscal year, July 1, 2010. Our future depends on it.



Regards,





David Hildenbrand rephildenbrand@house.mi.gov

Dear Representative Hildenbrand--


Having listened to the severe budget cuts being made in my school district and having read in the newspaper about severe budget cuts in neighboring school districts, I feel very disappointed in my elected leaders. Over and over, we hear about how an educated workforce is the only solution to our state’s woes, yet the Legislature continues to cut both K-12 education and the universities. I am asking you, as my State Representative, to negotiate a budget that includes Governor Granholm’s proposal to lower the sales tax and expand it to services. This new revenue will put our public schools back on their feet. This action must be done before the beginning of the school’s fiscal year, July 1, 2010. Our future depends on it.



Regards,

Some Public Pulse template letters

Here are some Public Pulse template letters for the Grand Rapids Press.  Email to pulse@grpress.com.

1.  This one is about the Fund Balance--the savings account used by the EGRPS school district to even out erratic state funding and to keep interest payments as low as possible.

Fiscally responsible school districts hold back money from their budgets during stable years. This money is called a fund balance. Due to the crazy way the schools are funded in this state, the fund balance is used by school districts to cover expenses during the months between when their fiscal year starts (July 1) and when they receive the first check from The State of Michigan (October 20). Most districts have to borrow money to operate for this quarter of the school year. The more money the schools have in fund balance, the less interest the schools have to pay on the borrowed money. The schools also use this money to buffer budget cuts during difficult times, like we are living in now. I applaud the stewardship of the East Grand Rapids School District and their use of a fund balance to operate our schools in impossible fiscal times.


2.  This one is about asking for the Legislature to revisit Governor Granholm's proposal to expand the sales tax to services to fund schools.  This one was published by the GR Press on Monday, May 10, 2010, but additional letters can be sent in agreement.

Having listened to the severe budget cuts being made in my school district and having read in the newspaper about severe budget cuts in neighboring school districts, I feel very strongly that my legislators have let down the whole State of Michigan, including me, my husband and my children. Over and over, we hear about how an educated workforce is the only solution to our state’s woes, yet the Legislature continues to cut both K-12 education and the universities. I am urging the Legislature to return to Governor Granholm’s proposition to lower the sales tax and expand it to services. This new revenue will put our public schools back on their feet. Action needs to be taken before July 1, 2010, the start of the schools’ fiscal year. Our future depends on it.

Some Facts About the Non-Homestead Millage Vote

YOUR YES VOTE is worth $1,100,000 to the EGR schools!!

   

Election day is Tuesday, May 4th.  VOTE YES on Operating Millage Proposal:

   

• No change in taxes on EGR homeowners
• Renews 18 mill tax on EGR business, industrial, agricultural and rental properties only.
• No primary EGR residences will be affected
• YES = $1,100,000 directly to EGR Schools budget

With a proposed $2.5 million EGR School Budget cut:

   

YOUR YES VOTE KEEPS $1,100,000 in their coffers!!

  

YOUR YES VOTE PREVENTS the schools from a $3.6 million shortfall!!

   

YOUR YES VOTE = an easy way to help your schools!  Spread the word!!!

   

   

OPERATING MILLAGE PROPOSAL

  

This proposal will allow the school district to levy the statutory rate of 18 mills on all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance.

Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, in East Grand Rapids Public Schools, Kent County, Michigan, be increased by 18 mills ($18.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 3 years, 2010, 2011 and 2012, to provide funds for operating purposes (17.8669

mills of the above is a renewal of millage which expired with the 2009 tax levy and .1331 mill is a restoration of millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the Michigan Constitution of 1963); the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2010 is approximately $1,100,000?

  

The Legislative Committee encourages you to get out and vote!

May 4, 2010

Please get out and vote for the Non-Homestead Property Tax.  This tax is about $350 per student each school year!!

Dates to Remember

April 26 7pm School Board Meeting. Wealthy Auditorium.  The budget committee will publicly offer recommendations for cuts.

May 4 Vote!! For the Renewal of Nonhomestead property tax

June 7 5:30pm Budget Hearing. Wealthy Auditorium.  The budget for the 2010/11 school year will be proposed.

June 14 7pm School Board Meeting. The balanced budget will be adopted.

Recent Newspaper Articles Addressed by the Legislative Committee 4-4-10

At the last Legislative Committee meeting, we addressed some Grand Rapids Press articles.  Please find the links to these articles on the blog.
1.  The first set of articles had to do with the EGRPS fund balance.  One of the articles criticized the use of a fund balance, or a savings account, by school districts.  Assistant Superintendent of Business, Kevin Phillips, reported to us that the professional organization that he belongs to recommends a 15% fund balance to be used to buffer erratic state funding, to buffer budget cuts and to minimize the interest on loans taken out by school districts to pay for expenses incurred during the schoolistrict's fiscal year, beginning July 1st before the first State payment of School Aid funds around October 20 each year.

EGRPS is following these guidelines and is utilizing the fund balance during this school year and in the 2010/11 and the 2011/12 school years to soften the blow of severe budget cuts over a million dollars in deficits.  We will go from 15% to around 11% by the end of the 2011/12 fiscal year.


We then addressed the ongoing Press articles about EGRPS cutting the custodial staff.  Mr. Phillips explained that the Administration is looking carefully at bids that will save the district $500,000 (out of a $1.1 million expense in a $28 million budget) and keep the cuts out of the classroom. In fairness to the custodial staff, if they are able to cut their costs by $350,000, then the district will keep them on and forego the outsourcing of the services.


















Your Legislative Committee Recommends Action!!



If we are concerned about budget cuts in the schools, we have to contact our elected representatives.





Representative Dave Hildenbrand (517) 373-0846 rephildenbrand@house.mi.gov

Senator Mark Jansen (517) 373-0797 SenMJansen@senate.michigan.gov

Governor Jennifer Granholm (517) 335-7858



Dates to remember:



April 26 7pm School Board Meeting. The budget committee will publicly offer recommendations for cuts.

May 4 Vote!! For the Renewal of Nonhomestead property tax

June 7 5:30pm Budget Hearing. The budget for the 2010/11 school year will be proposed.

June 14 7pm School Board Meeting. The balanced budget will be adopted.