Stop school aid bleeding

Stop school aid bleeding
Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm
November 07, 2009 06:03 AM

Last week when I signed the state budget into law, I made it clear that it is not the budget Michigan needs. It is a budget that cuts our most pressing priorities: educating our children and helping them pay for a college education; maintaining health care for seniors, children and people with disabilities; and keeping police officers and firefighters on our streets protecting our communities.

The only thing worse would have been an intolerable state government shutdown. So while I signed the budget, the fight to protect these key priorities is on. I ask for your help.

The first battle line in this fight is funding for our K-12 schools. These are difficult days for public education and for all who care about our schools and the children who attend them.

The root of the problem is that the school aid budget adopted by the Legislature is out of balance by more than $260 million. When I signed this budget, I described it as a bad check that would not clear the bank. The law requires a balanced budget in Michigan.

Since there is not enough money in the bank to pay for schools, we either have to cut more or raise the revenue to fund public education -- it's as simple as that. The cuts, which will require some schools to reduce spending this year by as much as $600 per pupil, will go into effect unless the Legislature provides the funding to prevent them before Nov. 27.

There is no alternative. The Legislature must act. Coming several months into the school year, these cuts could have a devastating impact on our schools and kids. It will mean layoffs of thousands of teachers and large increases in class sizes. The reductions come on the heels of a $165-per-pupil funding cut already included in the school aid budget.

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(Image: Todd McInturf / The Detroit News)
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