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| School Aid Budget Approved by Legislature, Granholm 20j veto; Dr Leipa on WJR regarding latest school cuts | |
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| Topic Started: Oct 10 2009, 07:50 PM (3,715 Views) | |
| Anna Krome | Oct 27 2009, 07:59 AM Post #101 |
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The message below is a call to action regarding the recent school funding issues. DRW Hello Principals, Below is an email that I sent to all PTA/PTSA officers, suggesting it be forwarded to you with a request to send it out as an email blast. It would be much appreciated if you would send it out. As you probably already know, Dr. Randy Liepa has spoken with Frank Beckman live on WJR 760 twice now, last Tuesday and Thursday morning. Lynda Scheel spoke live with Frank Beckman on Friday morning. You can hear Randy's interview on Tuesday at WJR.com, podcasts with Frank Beckman. Randy has also been interviewed by all TV channels and WWJ. He has done a guest spot, which aired live Friday night at 8:30 PM, with Nolan Findlay & Debbie Dingall on their 'Am I Right' show. This airs on your PBS station, and the show can be viewed online at PBS.com. Dr. Liepa has also had a five minute visit from the Governor. Randy and Lynda have talked face to face with Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop and State Rep. John Walsh. Randy has talked either directly to or with the offices of House Speaker Andy Dillon and Senator Glenn Anderson, and many other political leaders. They have also been in contact with Livonia's Mayor, and Randy & Lynda both spoke before City Council at Wednesday night's Council Meeting. Thank you, Heidy Nance President, Livonia PTSA Council ********************************************************************************** Livonia Public Schools Board of Education and Livonia PTSA Council Joint CALL TO ACTION -- SHOUT ABOUT K-12 FUNDING CUTS A Message from Your Board of Education President & PTSA Council President Lansing cuts funding to Livonia Public Schools (again) Livonia faces $10 million in cuts... for THIS School Year We thought Lansing read the emails you sent a few weeks ago, and would limit this school year’s funding cuts to $165 per student. Think again. Governor Granholm axed more money from the school aid budget (“20j” funds) by taking money from “hold harmless” school districts, including . Now she has announced more statewide cuts. Translation -- Livonia Public Schools will suffer DEVASTING cuts THIS school year: CUT $ 165 per student = $2.7 million loss for Livonia Schools (eff. 10/12/09 statewide) CUT $ 316 per student = $5.2 million loss for Livonia Schools (eff. 10/19/09 20j districts) CUT $ 127 per student = $2.1 million loss for Livonia Schools (eff. 10/23/09 statewide) TOTAL CUT $608 per student = $10 million loss for Livonia Public Schools = OUTRAGEOUS. PLEASE e-mail, write and make phone calls - your voice can make a difference. Contact our Governor and our legislatures to tell them what you think about these K-12 funding cuts, FOUR MONTHS INTO OUR FISCAL SCHOOL YEAR. Lansing needs to stop using our children as political pawns in their budget process. Right now, Granholm's office says that the volume of calls and emails about her school funding cuts is “not out of the ordinary”. We need to change that. It ain’t over ‘til its over -- The legislature can still override Granholm’s veto and reject the 20j cuts OR Granholm could eliminate her cuts. At the end of this email message Sample text: Legislators email address, phone numbers and mailing address. You may have been following all of this in the news and wonder what it all means. What is 20j? When voters approved ‘Proposal A” in 1994, they were told districts which had shown strong support for their schools would NOT be penalized, they’d be 'held harmless.' The goal was to increase funds for lower-funded districts, and this was accomplished. About 2/3 of MI school districts have seen a 125% increase in funding, while 'hold harmless' districts have been held to about a 17% total increase. Compared to the old funding method, taxpayers in 'hold harmless' districts basically subsidize other districts. There are two documents attached. One explains Prop A and how Michigan funds public schools and the other explains “20j” funding. Thank you, Lynda L. Scheel, President Livonia Board of Education Heidy Nance, President Livonia PTSA Council CONTACT YOUR GOVERNOR & LEGISLATORS NOW. Tell them to ‘walk the talk’ on education. SAMPLE EMAIL MESSAGE: My child attends Livonia Public Schools, and their education is very important to me. The State is facing a severe budget crisis and spending cuts are necessary. However, your reckless actions have made our children bear the brunt of these cuts. For years, Livonia has had increasing costs for retirement benefits and health care. The State has forced Livonia to pay for more and more things previously paid by the State. At the same time, Livonia has faced many funding cuts over the past several years. THIS MUST STOP! -- Do not eliminate 20j funding. Period. -- Do not threaten our children with more cuts for this school year. Period. Our children’s education is our future. Your school funding cuts for THIS school year portends for a bleak future. You must ACT NOW to reinstate adequate funds for Livonia Public Schools and help them contain costs – and then get to work on long-term funding solutions for Michigan schools. _____________________________________________________________________________ HOW TO CONTACT the GOVERNOR and LEGISLATORS Governor Jennifer Granholm Phone 517-373-3400 Fax 517-335-6863 Another link to an on-line message: http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-21995-65331--,00.html Speaker of the House Representatives Andy Dillon andydillon@house.mi.gov Phone 517-373-0857 Fax 517-373-5976 P.O. Box 30014 Lansing, MI 48909 Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop senmbishop@senate.michigan.gov Phone 517-373-2417 Fax 517-373-2694 P.O. Box 30036 Lansing, MI 48909-7536 Senator Glenn Anderson: SenGAnderson@senate.michigan.gov Representative John Walsh: JohnWalsh@house.mi.gov Representative Richard LeBlanc: richardleblanc@house.mi.gov Related URL: http://www.livoniapublicschools.org/budgetupdate Use these links to find your legislators AND send them an on-line message MI Representative: http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp MI Senator: http://senate.michigan.gov/FindYourSenator/michiganfys.asp Michigan Legislative Directory http://capwiz.com/npta2/mi/directory/statedir.tt?state=MI&lvl=state Click to download the following files: » 20j Info » School Funding |
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Krome on Cars | |
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| Mrs.M | Oct 27 2009, 08:09 AM Post #102 |
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I thought I had understood 20j funding...until I read some explanations. If we, residents of LPS, are paying the increase of school funding through millages for the 20j, AND that money just got taken away with one slice of the ax WHY would anyone vote to give more money seeing that it could get taken away just as it was 'threatened' this past week? Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me? |
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| Hopeful | Oct 27 2009, 09:00 AM Post #103 |
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Let 's see if I understand........ LPTSA is not happy about the politics behind the State funding of education, so they're using the 'email blast' to push their political agenda on all of the families of LPS. I really hope that the district and LPTSA won't stoop that low.......to use email address listings, given for the purpose of school updates, to further their political agenda. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!!! This is a misuse of school funding. Teachers, secretaries, parapros and principals should not be using any school property or resources to further this political agenda. They need to work from outside the district, just like every other citizen must do if they do not agree with the politics. |
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| Al Beabak | Oct 27 2009, 04:58 PM Post #104 |
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Not to mention that it is a great opportunity for Schpeel to get her name out there 'en masse' just before an election How very convenient, how very sneaky |
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| LPS Reformer | Oct 27 2009, 07:13 PM Post #105 |
The schools exist to educate, not employ.
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 Darth Scheel: Al, You do not know the Power of the Dark Side of the Board. Nothing can stop me now! |
 LPS Reform Blog++++LPS Salary List 12/07 LPS Salary List 6/09 Contact me at: LPSReformer@gmail.com | |
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| George | Oct 27 2009, 08:47 PM Post #106 |
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 Since this is our money, I want a refund. 
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| George | Oct 27 2009, 09:37 PM Post #107 |
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I have one other question. Since the 20J funding money was approved by the voters, how can it be legal for the State of Michigan to just take it away from our school districts? |
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| IlikeLIvonia | Oct 28 2009, 06:09 AM Post #108 |
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Hi everyone, Thanks for your responses and support for getting the message to Lansing! We are getting questions asking if people who sign the petitions need to be either registered voters or LPS residents. There are no restrictions. This is not a petition for a state election or ballot proposal. There are no regulations; this is an informal petition to let people in Lansing know that people are concerned about the budget reductions. So anyone who supports the Livonia Public Schools can sign, no matter where they live. The link is posted again below. Thanks! Donna McDowell http://www.livoniapublicschools.org/files/filesystem/Petition%20to%20Restore%2010%20Million.pdf |
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| IlikeLIvonia | Oct 28 2009, 06:11 AM Post #109 |
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It wasn't approved by voters. 20J funding was a provision that was added by legislators in 1999, 5 years after Prop A. |
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| Anna Krome | Oct 28 2009, 10:25 AM Post #110 |
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"The so-called 20j or affluent districts levy additional taxes on their residents and receive a $54 million supplemental payment from the state because they were spending more per-pupil in 1994 than the then-new Proposal A formula allowed. It's this supplement that was vetoed." Mike Reno, Board Trustee for the Rochester Community Schools, DetNews 10/28/9 |
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| mouse2 | Oct 28 2009, 01:00 PM Post #111 |
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They will have a very long wait before I help them with this. They " LPS " PUTS ALL KIDS LAST " So I will just sit back and watch them live with in there means for once. |
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| IlikeLIvonia | Oct 28 2009, 03:27 PM Post #112 |
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20j funding is a provision in the school aid fund that was created in 1999, following the passage of Proposal A(1994), which shifted the primary source of funding for schools from property taxes to sales taxes. http://www.troy.k12.mi.us/about/09schoolaid.html 20j funding, created in 1999, is a categorical provision in the school aid fund to ensure that all Michigan School Districts receive the basic per pupil foundation increase each year. Currently, 20j funding provides approximately $53 million in revenue across 51 Michigan districts in communities that support "hold harmless" millages. http://www.birmingham.k12.mi.us/NR/rdonlyres/D8BFE77C-E3C9-4C74-BA67-1F2D9980D60A/48758/April2009BeverlyPTAMinutes.pdf http://www.scribd.com/doc/18348021/20J-Funds-Explanation "Hold-harmless" districts are those districts that had the highest per-pupil revenue when Proposal A was passed in FY 1994. Out of the 554 school districts in Michigan, 52 districts are hold-harmless districts, which is defined as any district with a foundation allowance above the state foundation allowance. The reason these districts have foundation allowances above the state maximum is largely due to the fact that they had higher property values and, as a result, higher per-pupil student revenues under the former school finance system. Edited by IlikeLIvonia, Oct 28 2009, 03:52 PM.
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| Larry Martin | Oct 28 2009, 05:15 PM Post #113 |
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"At the time of Proposal A's enactment, some school districts' foundation allowances exceeded the established maximum. These districts are generally referred to as "hold harmless" districts. Those districts were allowed to levy additional mills to make up the difference between the state maximum foundation allowance and the combined state and local revenue per pupil the district had previously received. Those mills are first levied on homestead property. In some instances, additional mills are also levied on non-homestead property. " Southfield levies an additional 16mills on homestead property. Ann Arbor levies 4+mills. The amount levied is determined by how much extra the district is allowed to appropriate and the taxable value in the district. Then the local residents get to vote on whether to approve the extra millages. How would you like to pay 16mills additional for the 20j fund and receive nothing back. Most 20j districts already do not receive all the additional taxes paid back due to the 'equity payments' in recent years. Has any official answered whether the homestead millage renewal would generate any money for the district? Or would it disappear into the state coffers? Edited by Larry Martin, Oct 28 2009, 05:17 PM.
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| crazy_cat | Oct 28 2009, 07:10 PM Post #114 |
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How does the "operating milleage" they are asking us to renew figure into the equation? |
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| Al Beabak | Oct 28 2009, 07:29 PM Post #115 |
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Basically you pay more in taxes for less state money given to your district. So why renew a millage that you do not get full advantage of the revenues? You are pissing money back away to the state. Do not renew millages unless you know where your tax dollars are being spent. |
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| Whatever | Oct 29 2009, 08:42 AM Post #116 |
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So, basically districts raise more money through millages and the state lets us keep some of it. |
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| Whatever | Oct 31 2009, 09:00 AM Post #117 |
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I think the key word here is "had." With all of the recent foreclosures in Livonia, much had changed since the boom of the 90's. Property values were higher in 1994 when proposal A was passed. Everyone has experienced a big drop since then. To ignor what is going on with the economy and fund 52 schools at a higher rate (promised in better times when real estate was booming), doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. It's not fair to the other 500 school districts around the state who must work with a lot less. They manage to get by with less. It's unrealistic at this point to continue to fund schools like it's 1999 (there's a song in there somewhere). Party over. Edited by Whatever, Oct 31 2009, 09:09 AM.
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| one_observer | Nov 5 2009, 09:04 PM Post #118 |
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Posted: 3:15 p.m. Nov. 5, 2009 Granholm says she'll back measure to tap stimulus money for schools BY LORI HIGGINS FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER Comments (23) Gov. Jennifer Granholm said she'll support a measure passed by the House today that would use remaining stimulus money to avoid deep cuts to school districts. But she said it's only a temporary solution. "If it comes to my desk, I'll sign it," Granholm said this afternoon after meeting with parents and educators at the Macomb Intermediate School District. But, she said, "It's basically kicking the can down the road. ... We will be back at it again in a couple more months." Granholm said she'll sign it to avoid the nearly $300 per students school districts would absorb this school year. After the private meeting she held with Macomb parents and educators, she called on the Legislature to come up with a solution in the week that remains for them to act. Parents who spoke this afternoon said they're concerned about the impact continued cuts are having on their children's education. Marilyn Rolfe, a parent of two children in the Center Line school district, said she will consider leaving Michigan if things don't improve. "I will do whatever it takes to give my kids a quality education," Rolfe said. http://www.freep.com/article/20091105/NEWS15/91105054/1318/Granholm-says-shell-back-measure-to-tap-stimulus-money-for-schools |
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| Jimid | Nov 6 2009, 08:00 AM Post #119 |
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That is a huge mistake. It is only going to make next years pain all the worse. Just putting off the inevitable will only make it harded. I have no confidence districts will use the time to properly prepare for the deep cuts. |
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| Jimid | Nov 6 2009, 08:12 AM Post #120 |
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If we have learned anything in this state over the past years folks, it is that quick fixes can do more damage than good. We all use duct tape. It is a great and quick way to make repairs. But does it ever last??????? |
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