Per pupil cuts would devastate schools

When a joint House-Senate committee announced an agreement that 2009-2010 per pupil funding would be cut by $218, school administrators across the state were shocked. It was double what many had prepared for, and coming after the school year has begun, the cuts mean already established programs could be forced to stop mid-year.

The impact in real dollars is staggering. Bigger districts stand to lose more, with Detroit leading the list with an $18.7 million cut. But the effect of the cuts is felt just as much—maybe more—in smaller districts, where the losses can’t be offset by a larger number of students.

Owosso Schools stand to lose $761,000; Niles Community Schools will be cut about $834,000, and Avondale School District will have $827,000 less to work with this year.
What that means for students and staff depends on the school system—and its financial position. Many districts already issued layoffs and cut programs over the summer in anticipation of state cutbacks.

“If passed, these cuts are going to be devastating for all districts,” Perry Public Schools Superintendent John Spicko told the Argus -Press. “We have already cut to the bone, and most districts have.”

Spicko says he will try to find other areas to reduce spending but that some impact to students is inevitable.

Lakeshore Public Schools Superintendent Bob Burgess—who worked out an agreement this summer to consolidate transportation with Bridgman Schools—says he will look to pool other services as a way to save money. But he says it won’t be that simple in many areas.

"I would assume some districts will have mid-year layoffs," Burgess said. "Many school districts are already very close to the edge."

But others are hoping the edge isn’t as close as the news from Lansing appears. In many school districts, parent groups and school administrators are contacting their state legislators, trying to convince them to lessen the burden schools will face.

“I implore our state Legislature to think about what you're doing to these kids,” Owosso Public Schools Superintendent Chris Hammill told reporters.

Updated: September 23, 2009