Legislative actions fail to address systemic failure for K-12 education

The legislature’s proposed $218 per student cut in funding to local schools is a shortsighted response to what has become a much larger problem. The reality is the legislature will be back here again next year.

The reasons given for the cuts are declining tax revenues and declining student numbers. While these are valid issues, they are only part of the story. The larger problem is that when the State shifted school funding in 1994 to a system dependent upon the State's economy, it was known that in a recession, Michigan would struggle to support its schools. It was a short-term fix.

The legislature’s recommended cuts to K-12 schools will only scratch the surface of the problem. The Senate Fiscal Agency predicts further cuts in the range of $300-500 per pupil in the 2010-2011 fiscal year. While it is easy in the short term to point at declining student enrollment and dwindling taxes, the better solution is to fix the system.

The Summit to Reform Michigan School Funding has been working to find solutions to the education funding problem. This group of educators from school districts across the State has been meeting to review the Michigan public school funding structure and target areas for improvement. Possible ideas for changing the way schools are funded include:

• Continue work on administrative consolidation efforts. Solid return on resources (time and money) is key. Reduce paperwork and administrative functions that are redundant and inefficient. Common payroll systems and financial systems are examples.

• Establish a statewide insurance pool for all public school employees and have benefit levels determined by the State.

• Establish a statewide teacher salary schedule. Eliminate the dollar costs of bargaining 552 separate contracts and eliminate the unrest these bargaining sessions cause communities.

The Summit Group’s view is the State’s current system has failed and the legislature’s plan to simply cut their way out of this crisis will not work. Funding changes are imperative and the discussions need to include educators.