budget

FOCUS REMAINS ON BUDGET – Most of the legislative attention this week was focused on the budget—and the lack of money to fund the spending legislators would like to approve. It also became clear that despite an increase in the number of joint hearings between the House and Senate subcommittees, there will not be a consensus approach to the budget process between the two chambers with conference committees still playing a pivotal role in the final decision. The process saw some spending plans move forward, with most of the activity centered on education issues.

By Frank DeFrank, Macomb Daily Staff Writer  Click here for link to the story

Administrators to take unpaid furlough days, reduced benefits totaling $880,000

More than 100 Utica Community Schools administrators will absorb concessions next school year totaling nearly $880,000, district officials announced this week.

Administrators will take as many as six unpaid furlough days during the 2010-11 school year and pay 20 percent of their health insurance premiums.

The concessions are part of an attempt to offset an anticipated $33 million budget shortfall next school year.

Rep. Terry BROWN (D-Pigeon) said he doesn't want to do it, but as the chair of the House K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee, he's leaning toward quickly adopting a School Aid Fund budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 that cuts schools an extra $255-per pupil.

With revenue estimates projecting the School Aid Fund being down around $425 million and not enough federal stimulus money to plug the hole, Brown said he needs to be realistic about the fate schools will ultimately face since the Republican-led Senate is showing no willingness to raise revenues this year.

Gongwer News (FEB 19, 2010) - The plans outlined by Governor Jennifer Granholm to provide an incentive for state employees to retire, with the state replacing two of every three who do, would save the state's main checkbook $758.1 million by 2020, while gross savings would total $1.95 billion, according to a new review by the House Fiscal Agency.

The bulk of her proposed changes - increasing the pension multiplier by 0.1 percentage point, raising terminal leave payments and retiree health care costs - will actually cost $617 million, but Ms. Granholm's savings of $2.6 billion come from not replacing everyone who walks out the door.

Rebuke of the governor's proposal to extend the sales tax to services and lower the rate to avoid cuts to education in the coming fiscal year continued Thursday when the Democratic-led House Education Committee began what will be at least a one-month study in school reform savings.

In beginning the hearing, chair Rep. Tim Melton (D-Auburn Hills) said in light of the fact "there is not much appetite among some parties to raise money," the committee plans to take the next several weeks examining reform proposals and gauging how much those could save schools to deal with the more than $400 million deficit in the School Aid Fund.

Forty-one school districts reported to state officials that they ended Fiscal Year (FY) 2008-09 on June 30 in debt, a 33 percent increase from the year before, the Department of Education (MDE) reported today.

And that increase will likely be considered mild after FY '09-'10 and FY '10-'11 if school districts are forced to drain their rainy day accounts to make up for the $292 per student cut school districts are swallowing in the midst of their budget year, said Bob DWAN, associate executive director of the Michigan School Business Officials.

By Diane McMillan
Associate Director

With all the emphasis on budget cuts, it's often easy to temporarily lose sight of our primary mission--educating middle level students for the next levels. Now, with even more research that what happens at the middle level really matters, middle level educators are searching for cost effective ways to continue quality middle school programs that prepare college and career ready students.

Lansing, MI--Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) was named a winner in the 2007 annual Michigan School Public Relations Association (MSPRA) Communications Contest. WISD received a Distinguished Award in the Project or Program category for the entry, “Michigan School Funding Crisis.”
This presentation is well worth your 17 minutes to watch it. In front of 800 parents at Grand Ledge School board of education it brought a loud cheers. It is perfect to be used at a faculty meeting, parent meeting, or before student groups.
http://www.wash.k12.mi.us/about/msfc.cfm

Sign parked on street in front of Capitol - 10/29

MirsNews, October 29, 2009

This afternoon, Donald WOTRUBA, director of government relations for the Michigan Association of School Boards, told lawmakers his group likes the public healthcare plan introduced by House Speaker Andy DILLON (D-Redford Twp.)

"We wholeheartedly support these reforms," Wotruba said in testimony before the Public Employee Health Care Reform committee, the special House panel formed specifically to explore the proposed reforms. "If it's quality coverage and cost effective; frankly, we don't care who operates it at that point."

With all the turmoil involving the collapse of the financial foundations of the Michigan public school system I asked our members, “Advise us, what do you want us to do?” Over three hundred members wrote back. Eight of ten responses contained the phrase, “thanks for asking.” You’re welcome. But, thank you for taking the time to write to let me know what you’re thinking. Your comments were insightful, thoughtful, and very helpful. They will be shared with the Board of Directors.

Monica Lee’s, from Waterford, comment spoke for many: “I think we need to remember this is really about whether or not we are going to fundamentally change how we structure and fund government in Michigan. If we don’t ride it out now it will be back in our faces again soon.”