Gov. Jennifer Granholm at round table discussion.

Governor wants fixes for education funding

When Gov. Jennifer Granholm met with superintendents, school board members and school staff late last week to look for solutions to the education funding crisis, she got more than she bargained for.

The governor met Oct. 23 with members of school communities in the Muskegon and Kent intermediate school districts to encourage support of her ideas for a short-term fix and long-term changes for how schools are funded. As she sees it, tax reform is key to avoiding any further budget dramas like we’re seeing now.

John Mierz, Whitall teacher and MEA member participated in the discussion.

After the governor explained the state’s financial crisis and her reasons for cutting an additional $127 from state aid, on top of the $165 already cut, she heard the impact the cuts will have on education—in addition to the budget slashing schools have already endured.
She heard of the potential elimination of 600 jobs in Kent County and 225 teaching jobs in Ottawa County. Kent City has already eliminated guidance counselors and day custodians. In Whitehall, this new round of cuts could mean cutting programs in fine arts and eliminating athletics and extra-curricular activities. The message was clear—schools are no longer cutting the number of programs—they’re cutting education quality.

John Mierz, a Whitehall teacher and MEA member, was invited to participate in the discussion. He told the governor that it’s impossible for schools to do any long-term planning when there’s such funding uncertainty.

Arch Lewis, an MEA researcher invited to the discussion, agreed.

“We need a long-term systemic solution,” he said. “It’s obvious Proposal A isn’t working. We need to get money to schools that will be a permanent revenue source.”

Granholm set a deadline of 30 days to implement immediate solutions like freezing scheduled increases in personal tax exemptions, or having special interest groups pay a percentage of their tax exemptions as a way of closing tax loopholes. For the long-term, she’s suggesting a sales tax on services, eliminating the business tax surcharge and replacing Proposal A as a way of funding schools.

The governor ended both discussions with the same challenge: “We have to mobilize like we’ve never mobilized before and fix this problem. Contact your legislators and tell them to vote for the needs of public education. Kids only have this moment. The Legislature must be convinced. Are you willing to help me?”

In an emergency meeting on Monday, the State Board of Education urged the governor and the Legislature to immediately find money to reduce the cuts in school funding. Meanwhile, the governor held another round-table discussion in Rochester.

NEXT STEPS: At the urging of the governor, contact your legislators today. Phone, send an e-mail, or text legislators and tell them we must save public education. Urge them to look for revenue by reforming Michigan’s antiquated tax structure and fixing its broken school funding system. Education must be a priority for the state’s economic survival.

Related:
News release from education leaders: More cuts to classrooms as budget outlook worsens
House Fiscal Agency estimated district-by-district cuts, including initial cut, proration cut, and 20j line-item veto

Updated: October 27, 2009