Saline School Board To State: Hands off School Aid Fund

Members of the Saline Area Schools Board of Education sent a message to Gov. Rick Snyder and the Republican-led state legislature: Keep your hands off the school aid fund.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the board voted 6-0 to pass a resolution opposing the state’s plans to dip into the school aid fund to help pay for higher education. School board member Todd Carter was absent.

Gov. Snyder has proposed a budget that would redirect $1 billion from the school aid fund to help pay for community colleges and universities.

Superintendent Scot Graden said the resolution concerned the tenets of Proposal A, a constitutional amendment passed by voters in 1994. The text of Proposal A does say that the school aid fund shall be used for higher education, but that was not the case until 2010, when the government redirected a small portion of the aid to community colleges.

“Some are asking what was the intent of Proposal A and what can be done with the money in the school aid fun,” Graden said. “This resolution would make it clear that Saline Area Schools and the Board of Education believe the intent of Proposal A was that the school aid fund be used for K-12 funding.”

School Board Trustee David Friese said that Proposal A came into effect after the Kalkaska district ran out of money and shut its doors. He said the governor's budget will create many more Kalkaskas.

“I’m not sure where (Gov. Snyder) was in 1994, but the intent of Proposal A was to adequately fund K-12 education. That’s how it was sold to the voters and that’s how the amendment to the constitution was passed,” Friese said. “Taking money from the school aid fund is preposterous. They’re putting their hands into the cookie jar.”

Trustee Lisa Slawson also had harsh words for the governor and for the way the state funds its schools.

“Proposa A is broken and I think people in this state still want our students to get a world-class education. I think think our Governor thinks Michigan is Gateway. It’s not a business. You’re no longer the CEO of Gateway. You’re a public servant and people in government are supposed to serve,” Slawson said. “It’s one thing to cut back when times are bad. But government should not overreact.”

Slawson said it was critical that the public pressure the government drop its plans to raid the school aid fund.

“Our universities and colleges can go out and raise tuition. We can’t. Proposal A doesn’t let us do that,” Slawson said. “These are our children for God’s sake. I’m slightly disgusted that people in politics think that children aren’t important.”

When the vote was taken, Saline Education Association president Tim Heim applauded and thanked the board.

In the past, universities and colleges have been funded by the state’s general fund. But lower tax revenues and a plan for $1.8 billion in tax cuts for businesses, the state looked elsewhere to fund higher education.

The cuts in state aid amount to $470 per student. Together with declining enrollment, increased pension and health costs, Saline Area Schools is projecting a $5.9 hole in its budget. The district is hoping the union, under contract until 2012, agrees to $2 million in concessions. There are also plans to lay off the equivalent of 20.5 teachers. The district also plans to dip into its $2.9 million fund balance for an additional $2 million.