State Debates How to Divvy up $318M in U.S. Aid for Schools (MI)
August 12, 2010
Michigan got a $318-million federal windfall to preserve an estimated 4,700 teacher jobs, but it was uncertain Wednesday how many laid-off teachers would be back in classrooms when students return after Labor Day.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm, lawmakers and school officials pondered how the money would be spent, and that may not be known until after the school year begins.
Don Wotruba, spokesman for the Michigan Association of School Boards, said it might be better to hold the money until the 2011-12 school year, though it was unclear whether that is permitted under the jobs bill that Congress passed Tuesday.
"Once you’re into the school year, teaching positions are almost impossible to bring back," Wotruba said. "It gets pretty hard to start adding back sections that have been cut."
That shouldn’t stop schools from hiring teachers and reducing class sizes, said Doug Pratt, spokesman for the Michigan Education Association.
"The whole intent of the money was to keep people on the job," Pratt said. "I would hope that any district that has people who are pink-slipped and ready to come back to work, would bring them back, not just for the sake of the employees, but for the kids."
Granholm has 30 days to apply for the $318 million in federal aid. It’s part of a $26-billion package to help states cope with strained finances.
Besides the money for schools, Michigan will get about $380 million for Medicaid services, which will reduce a looming general fund deficit for 2010-11.
Tiffany Brown, a spokeswoman for Granholm, said the application for the school funds will determine how the money is divided among school districts. Brown said that hasn’t been decided, although many believe the current formula for state aid will be used as a foundation.
There was no reliable statewide data showing how many pink-slipped teachers might return to work with the new funds. The retirement of 17,000 school employees under a state incentive plan resulted in rehiring an unknow n number of laid-off teachers.
Detroit Public Schools issued 2,000 layoff notices but is calling some teachers back; 715 were recalled Wednesday.
District spokesman Steve Wasko said any new federal money will be used to reduce class sizes.
Frank Ruggirello, spokesman for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, said if the federal money is distributed based on district enrollment — rather than on the number of low-income students — his district will benefit. Ruggirello said a large number of retirements resulted in the recall of many pink-slipped teachers.
State Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, criticized the federal aid as a one-time fix that creates a false sense of security and increases the federal debt. He said it will only delay tough budget-cutting measures and create pressure for higher taxes.
"I’m going to press that we be responsible in the way we deal with this," Bishop said. "We can’t spend money we don’t have."
But state Rep. Terry Brown, D-Pigeon, chairman of the House subcommittee on school funding, said the money is welcomed for strapped schools, even if it’s a one-time stopgap.
"To say we don’t want it because we can’t trust how we’ll deal with it is a crazy sign," Brown said.