Washtenaw County residents join Lansing rally for school funding

Former Ann Arbor school board member Kathy Griswold, a leader of the opposition to a countywide school enhancement millage, chats with Ann Arbor teachers union President Brit Satchwell during a school funding rally in Lansing this morning. David Jesse | AnnArbor.com

LANSING - As Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm made her way through a crowd gathered on the Capitol steps this morning rallying for school funding, Holly Bielewa found herself face-to-face with the governor.

Bielewa pulled out a letter her daughter, a Wines Elementary School fifth-grader, wrote after Washtenaw County voters turned down a countywide schools enhancement millage.

The letter, Bielewa said, wonders about funding for schools and whether her daughter’s teachers are going to get laid off because of a lack of money.

Granholm listened to Bielewa, then told her to deliver it to state Legislators.

“I’m on your side,” Granholm told Bielewa.

Bielewa was one of several Ann Arbor area residents, school board members and school district employees who drove to Lansing for the rally, sponsored by a new group called Save Our Schools. The group is advocating for more funding for local schools.

The state has cut - by legislator vote and Granholm order - several hundred dollars per student from state aid given to school districts. State aid is districts' main source of revenue.

That has many local districts - along with many across the state - saying they're in dire straits and will have to make cuts soon.

Several Washtenaw County officials and residents in attendance said the state needs to restore the cuts made, but also needs to work to stabilize funding.

“Not only do we need to stabilize funding, but we need to have a budget from the state before we have to pass our budget, so that we can plan,” said former Ann Arbor school board member Kathy Griswold, who was one of the leaders of the campaign against the local millage.

The millage would have raised taxes by 2 mills and generated about $30 million in revenue a year for five years. Voters turned down that tax last Tuesday.

Now Washtenaw County officials are scrambling to cut budgets without harming classroom instruction.

“It’s public education, and the public has spoken,” said Brit Satchwell, the president of the Ann Arbor teachers' union. “We’re interested in hearing from the public about what they decide is important in public education.”

Several residents said during the run-up to last week's vote that one cut they wanted to see was less pay for teachers.

Satchwell said teachers have already taking cuts, including changes in the last couple of years in less planning time and more contact time with students. In addition, he pointed out, teachers in Ann Arbor have been paying more out their own pocket for insurance and took a wage freeze this year.

David Jesse covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at davidjesse@annarbor.com or at 734-623-2534.