Washtenaw County educators intensify rally call for state education funding changes

Fewer teachers will be there to greet students: Just about every district is making plans to reduce its teaching ranks - including as many as 34 eliminated teaching positions in the Ann Arbor district.

Other changes also could be on the horizon, including countywide transportation, pay-to-play sports and more schools of choice options.

But Washtenaw County educators and school board members say those are simply short-term fixes to the larger problem of Michigan’s education funding system. If changes aren’t made soon, they argue, balancing the budget next year may be an insurmountable task without drastic measures.

To make their point, local parents, school board members and school employees joined others from across the state for a rally at the state Capitol Wednesday.

Ypsilanti Trustee Kira Berman attended the rally with a contingent from the district and said the goal was to convey to state officials the urgency of the situation.

“We have already sustained cuts and layoffs in Ypsilanti and we face excruciating decisions on whether to close schools in the next few weeks,” she said. “We’re doing everything we can to keep our public education system as strong as possible, but we need Lansing’s help, we need new revenues and we need new reforms.”

Schools are absorbing a minimum $165 per student funding cut this academic year. Next year's cuts could be deeper, particularly when including extra costs schools face to fund employee retirement plans. Combined cuts and required increased spending could cost schools the equivalent of more than $400 per student.

“In general the cuts in state funding are having a negative impact in my district, and in every other district, as we grapple with making very tough decisions that might not be in the best interest of children, but based off economics,” Ypsilanti Superintendent Dedrick Martin said. “It really puts us in a position where we’re fighting with each other at a local level - community against board, administration against teachers union, community against administration, and it’s just not healthy for developing a good, healthy educational climate.”

The state funding debate could be decided by voters if one Michigan lawmaker has his way.

Rep. Tim Melton, D-Auburn Hills, said Wednesday at an education town hall meeting that a proposal to increase school funding would be tied to cost-cutting measures and other changes for schools. Melton, chairman of the House Education Committee, would like the still developing proposal to be on the August statewide ballot.

"Go to the ballot and let the people of Michigan decide," Melton said at a forum sponsored by Ann Arbor-based think tank The Center for Michigan.

The specific changes that might be offered in a ballot proposal have not been determined. The proposal would have to be approved by two-thirds of both the Democrat-led House and Republican-led Senate to make the ballot.

Lawmakers first would look at ways to save money in the school system, including possible changes to health care and retirement systems for school employees, Melton said. Districts also could be urged to consolidate and make other changes aimed at saving taxpayer money.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm has proposed reducing the state sales tax from 6 percent to 5.5 percent and expanding it to dozens of consumer services that currently aren't taxed, raising roughly $550 million for schools next fiscal year and keeping the same per-student funding level.

Martin said one problem the districts face is that state funding continues to be a moving target.

“If anyone in Lansing was working 40 hours a week and it was a guess what their paycheck is going to be at the end of the week, that would be problematic,” Martin said. “What I fear is they are going to continue to kick this can down the road and we are going to have to continue to fight it out at a local level when many of these problems can be moved forward with assistance from the state level.”

At the local level, school boards are currently in the thick of their budget cycles and must approve balanced budgets by July 1. Two Washtenaw County school districts - Ypsilanti and Willow Run - are now operating under state-mandated deficit elimination plans.

Several local districts - including Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Saline and Ypsilanti - have taken significant steps in recent weeks to address their budget issues.

Coverage this week:

• Ann Arbor school board to decide schools of choice proposal in two weeks
• Sixth-graders to move to middle school under new building configuration for Saline Area Schools
• Chelsea schools to close Pierce Lake Elementary, cut teachers to reduce deficit
• Ypsilanti Public Schools amends budget with $4.9 million deficit
• Ypsilanti school board opposes resolution to explain rationale behind proposed budget cuts

Reported by: David Jesse and Tom Perkins of AnnArbor.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.