Group Pushing for Changes in Funding Could Take Case to Voters

February 8, 2010

The head of a group pushing for school funding reforms says if the Legislature doesn’t take action, his group will push for a ballot initiative.
 
"I am offended at the notion that we have to go to the ballot," said Tom White, chairman of Save Our Students, Schools and State (SOS) and former head of the Michigan School Business Officials organization. "But if we have to go, we will."

It’s not clear what form the initiative might take. SOS includes representatives from almost every major education group in the state, including the Michigan Association of School Boards and the Michigan Parent Teacher Student Association. It does not include the Michigan Education Association or the American Federation of Teachers-Michigan, the two unions that represent school employees.

White said his group is promoting things such as reducing health insurance costs, even though that may be unpopular with employees.

"It’s not an anti-union thing," he said. "We’re not going to be able to solve this … with just getting new money."

Michigan schools have received funding boosts in most of the last 15 years, but recent increases have not kept up with rising costs, notably generous health care benefits.

Benefits for teachers, including health insurance, retirement and Social Security costs, have risen from $1.9 billion in the 2000-01 school year to $2.6 billion in the 2007-08 year, according to the most recent figures available.

Schools saw their funding cut by $165 per student this year.

Even more dramatic cuts are expected for the 2010-11 school year.

Sharif Shakrani, co-director of the Education Policy Center at Michigan State University, said closing schools and laying off employees affects achievement in significant ways.

"When they close schools, that means students have to move someplace else, and when students move, especially elementary students, their achievement tends to drop" as they adjust to a new environment, he said.

In addition, Shakrani said, layoffs often hit the younger teachers the most — teachers who Shakrani says often have more in-depth content knowledge because they’ve just exited teacher preparation programs. The teachers left end up teaching a grade or subject they haven’t taught for a long time, or ever.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm is trying to e ntice 39,000 teachers and other school employees with more than 30 years of experience to retire. The move is expected to save the state millions as older teachers are replaced by younger teachers at lower salaries.