County school millage will help fill gap left by state funding cuts
By now, most of us have heard of the budget cuts made by the State of Michigan to K-12 schools around the state. But the news has gotten worse almost by the day. At this point, if nothing changes in Lansing, AAPS stands to lose $8.7 million for the current school year.
This is in addition to the nearly $2 million in hard cuts and several million dollars in other reductions and adjustments already incorporated into the AAPS budget passed last June. It comes after years of budget cuts, more than $16 million in cuts to AAPS programs in the last four years. But we still have the same number of children to educate.
If nothing else, these events hammer home the fact that Michigan’s system of funding public education is broken. As a community, we have a responsibility to take what steps we can to protect critical assets like our public schools. The Washtenaw schools millage is the only option we have, under current law, to take the fate of our schools back into our own hands.
The current standoff in Lansing over school funding is clearly part of a larger political struggle. But it is our schools that are bearing the cost and the risk. Whether our state lawmakers find a compromise or not, the fact remains that the system created by Proposal A cannot protect our public schools from serious damage just when we need them the most. These cuts are the first of many that we will see in the next few years. Fixing that system, even if everyone were agreed on a solution, will take time - time we do not have.
The Washtenaw school millage can give us that time. It will not solve all our problems: schools will still need to make cuts and other changes to keep their budgets in balance, as they have been doing for some years. But the millage will make the difference between cuts that are merely difficult and those that are devastating. Moreover, all of the revenue from this millage would stay in Washtenaw County, while we only get back a fraction of the tax revenues we send to Lansing for schools.
Good schools make all the difference for our community’s present and our children’s future.
Our kids need the best preparation possible for the economy of the 21st century. Good schools also bring jobs and economic growth by making our community attractive to employers and people who want to live and work here. These are tough times, but if we dismantle our schools, it will only get tougher. We owe it to children and our community to keep our schools strong!
I ask every voter in our community to Vote YES on Proposal I November 3rd!
Steven J. Norton
AAPS parent and Campaign manager
Ann Arbor Citizens Millage Committee
Comments
ToddAustin
Mon, Nov 2, 2009 : 2:55 p.m.
ArgoC, I'd be very interested to hear what sort of improvements you expect in schools when their budgets are cut. Would that be fewer teachers and more children in each classroom? Fewer resources, like lab equipment and books? Or did you have in mind decaying buildings? The anti-union wingnuts don't sway my decision in the slightest. I'm not a union member. I don't have any teachers in my family. I do, however, have a child and I depend on quality local schools to help me raise my child to be the best person he can be. The budget cuts have gone far beyond fat. We're amputating our limbs now in Michigan and it has to stop. I would prefer to see the state legislature fix our broken income tax structure and move us to a tiered progressive system, where the wealthy pay more, but they clearly lack the courage in the era of term limits. Leadership has to come from the communities now. I'll feel the bite in my wallet, but I will know it is for a vitally-important cause - protecting the schools that are our future. I'll be voting YES.
ArgoC
Sun, Nov 1, 2009 : 1:36 p.m.
If the local education system (including the MEA) had diverted half the energy they've put into the millage... into, instead, talking concretely about how they are rethinking their organization and re-evaluating their operation, I'd vote for the millage. I've supported every education millage in the past 30 years. But I do not have much remaining sympathy for what's still apparently a bloated organizational ecology with generous salaries and benefits. The private sector only wishes it could be in the same situation at this point in time!. Flag-waving about the value of education doesn't do it for me. And all the postings by school employees and their consultants who do NOT identify their affiliations are not helping my reaction.. I'm okay with the cuts. If they happen, I'll be watching for evidence of sensible, non-political improvements in the school system over the next few years. If they do it well, they'll get my respect again.
aataxpayer
Sun, Nov 1, 2009 : 9:08 a.m.
Steve, You wrote, "The current standoff in Lansing over school funding is clearly part of a larger political struggle." You're absolutely right. This is about the MEA pushing for power and entitlement. The millage will buy us time for state reforms, but only if legislators are willing to reform! Representative Warren and Sen Brater have been absolutely unwilling to address this issue. In fact, it seems that they work for the MEA rather than local taxpayers! For me it boils down to two questions. The first question is whether or not we need to force reform by (in the words of another commenter) "starving the beast," or can we vote YES and still get reforms? Sadly, I don't think real reform will happen soon if we vote YES. The second question is whether or not our schools will be seriously harmed by voting NO. If fact, we do run that risk, particularly if the MEA and AAEA digs in their heels and refuses to change to reflect current times. I'm afraid the AAEA might be willing to accept massive layoffs instead of reforms like direct purchase of health care benefits, increased health care co-pays, and yes, modest pay cuts. If this happens our school will be seriously harmed.
MCC
Sat, Oct 31, 2009 : 12:23 a.m.
One more thing.... I read somewhere that you list your occupation as a 'comsultant'. You wouldn't be chance be 'comsulting' for the AAPS, would you? at any time over the past 2 years?
MCC
Sat, Oct 31, 2009 : 12:21 a.m.
Steve, You throw around words like "critical assets"... is that the MEA? That's who stands to lose the most if this fails! words like 'devastating' and 'dismantle'... enough scare tactics already!! You want time? You've had time. Every time you need more money, instead of making changes, you come to the people for more money. In the last 8 years, as the AAPS has been borrowing from its Fund Equity, and coming to the taxpayers for bonds and sinking funds to get more money, (which we have given them) there has been NO CHANGE in the way the AAPS does business. So again they come to the taxpayers... crying "the sky is falling, the sky is falling" enough already... SHOW ME CHANGE! and maybe then I'll vote yes... until then I WILL BE VOTING NO!
Tom Bower
Fri, Oct 30, 2009 : 8:15 p.m.
Steve, "...our childrens future...Our kids need the best preparation..." I guess the 3,500 children attending the nine public school academies in Washtenaw County are not included in your thoughts. These students attend public schools. Their parents pay property taxes in Washtenaw County. When will they be treated as first class citizens by WISD and the ten general powers school districts? Why hasn't WISD done anything in the two years' runup to this election to get the clearly discriminatory and arguably unconstitutional law changed either through legislative action or through a favorable interpretation from the Michigan Department of Education? Would dilution of the $30 million pool of funds by an additional 3,500 really be that much of a burden for the ten general powers districts? Why do public school academies continue to show student growth and why do they continue to do more with less? Michigan Charter Schools Do More with Less Source: Michigan Association of Public School Academies http://www.charterschools.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79&Itemid=44 Charters are doing more with less. 62% of the state's charter students are minorities, one of the highest ratios in the country and significantly above the state average of 26 percent. About 58% of Michigan charter students qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch. Charter schools receive a per-pupil funding of about $7,888. This is $1,198 less per student than all traditional schools statewide, and $2,576 less per student than the traditional district where the charter school is located. Charter total student funding is never more than what the local district gets. Charters are not allowed to levy millages or sell public bonds. In fact, many charters pay property taxes back to traditional districts. Michigan charters put their dollars in the classroom. Latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows 63% of all charter staff are in the classroom, directly helping children to learn. In contrast, the state average for all schools is 48% -- among the worst in the nation. According to the Michigan Dept of Education (MDE), charter school students in grades K-8 outperform students in similar traditional public school districts in 25 of 27 MEAP tests. Charter high school students have achieved an 86% graduation rate, 12% above similar traditional districts. According to the MDE, students in charter schools receive, on average, $1,778 less per year in combined state and local financial resources than students in host districts.
lbechard
Fri, Oct 30, 2009 : 3:07 p.m.
A new millage is not the way to fill the gap. I submit that the gap should be filled via cuts to teacher's benefits. It takes $1600 per pupil to pay for teacher's benefits, not including salaries. That is 41% above the national average. Just a 10% cut in their bloated benefits package would go a long way in closing the gap.
bud
Thu, Oct 29, 2009 : 9:35 p.m.
I'm voting yes. An $8.7M loss is just too much.
A Voice of Reason
Thu, Oct 29, 2009 : 3:47 p.m.
$16 million is being paid by A2 tax payers and only $11 million is going to our schools. $5 million is going to other Washtenaw Schools. Not a good deal for Ann Arbor. Charter schools are not getting a dime of this money. It is not about the kids in this county only about MEA controlled Schools. The pro millage people are using scare tatics are being used to threaten teachers and children. Our Governor is spending millions to attract Hollywood Producers to Michigan with a return of 16 cents on the dollar. Obviously there is money for schools in Lansing it is just being help hostage so this millage passes. Ann ARbor voters are smart and can see through these tactics. Teacher still are getting their step increases (annual raises for each year of service), so they are getting raises. I AM VOTING NO People cannot afford the increase of $300 dollars for a SEV value of $150,000. Send a message to our school board to spend our money wisely, vote no, vote no, vote no.