WHAT ARE GRPS CHILDREN WORTH? WELL, THIS IS WHAT THE STATE THINKS
From the PTSA Legislative Action Committee:
Dear City Community,
It is imperative that legislators hear from you. It is time legislators eliminate the disparities in school funding that exist from one district to another. There have been school funding inequities for too long in this state. How can one child be worth $12,388 to the state and another child worth only $7204? One answer to this question is because of where the first child lives.
Each school district in Michigan is paid an "allowance" for each pupil attending school in their district. This is referred to as the "per pupil foundation allowance". Michigan citizens were lead to believe Proposal A would eliminate the inequities in the foundation allowance when they voted it into law in1994. In 1993-94 there was a $7532 gap between the lowest paid districts and the highest paid. In the 14 years since Proposal A, the gap has only been reduced to $5,183!
One reason the gap remains so high is because the highest paid districts continue to receive increases in their per pupil foundation allowance, almost equal to the increases for the lower funded districts, like Grand Rapids.
Now is the time to let legislators know this is not acceptable. Funding of schools must be sufficient and equal. With the new high school graduation requirements, NCLB, Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), Education Yes!, the 1,098 required hours of instruction, etc., the student outcome requirements are equal for all school districts and yet, state funding is not. If one district receives over $12,387 in 2007-08 to educate an individual student, don't all the students in the state deserve the same amount?! Currently, Grand Rapids students are each worth $7440 to the state.
There is a process for closing the gap commonly called the 2x formula. This formula sets a basic increase to all districts (ex. Every school gets $48 increase.). However, the lower per pupil foundation allowance districts gets twice that amount (ex. $96-twice the $48 amount) to help them "catch up", "come closer to equity" and possibly do things like have smaller class sizes, which the higher paid districts have had for years.
Now, many of the higher funded districts (in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties a.k.a. Tri-County area) would like to do something different from 2x. The "something different" would result in a much slower rate of reaching equity for districts like Grand Rapids, but would benefit the districts in the Tri-County area. Once again, keep in mind that the highest per pupil dollar amount is at $12,387 for '07-'08 while GRPS gets $7440.
What shall we do? Write, phone, and /or email the Governor's office and the legislators. Let them know that we want the 2x formula to be used in trying to reach equitable funding. Let them know your child is worth as much as the $12,387 child. Let them know that you also want them to avoid pro-ration cuts that help keep the gap in place.
You can use the links below:
Governor Jennifer Granholm
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, MI 48909
www.michigan.gov and click on "Contact the Governor"
Lansing Office Mailing Address: 75th District
Representative Robert Dean
N1094 House Office Building
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909-7514
Fax: 517-373-5696
Phone: 517-373-2668
robertdean@house.mi.gov
Lansing Office Mailing Address: 76th District
Representative Michael Sak
Speaker Pro Tempore
251 Capitol Building P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909-7514
Fax: 517-373-5276
Phone: 517-373-0822
speakerprotemsak@house.mi.gov
Lansing Office Mailing Address: 77th District
Representative Kevin Green
N1096 House Office Building
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909-7514
Fax: 517-373-8731
Phone: 517-373-2277
kevingreen@house.mi.gov
Lansing Office Mailing Address: 73rd District
Representative Tom Pearce
N1092 House Office Building
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909-7514
Fax: 517-373-5697
Phone: 517-373-0218
tompearce@house.mi.gov
Lansing Office Mailing Address: 72nd District
Representative Glenn Steil
N1091 House Office Building
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909-7514
Fax: 517-373-7590
Phone: 517-373-0840
Toll Free Phone: 1-877-727-8345
glennsteil@house.mi.gov
Lansing Office Mailing Address: 17th District
Representative Andy Dillon
Speaker of the House
166 Capitol Building
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909-7514
Fax: 517-373-5976
Phone: 517-373-0857
andydillon@house.mi.gov
SENATORS:
Michael Bishop
Republican of District 12
Senate Majority Leader
Office Phone: (517) 373-2417
Office Location: S-106 Capitol
E-mail Address: SenMBishop@senate.michigan.gov
Nancy Cassis Member of Senate Education Committee (Novi)
Republican of District 15
Office Phone: (517) 373-1758
Office Location: 905 Farnum Building
E-mail Address: SenNCassis@senate.michigan.gov
John Gleason Member of Senate Education Committee (Flushing Area)
Democrat of District 27
Office Phone: (517) 373-0142
Office Location: 315 Farnum Building
E-mail Address: SenJGleason@senate.michigan.gov
Bill Hardiman (Grand Rapids Area Senator)
Republican of District 29
Office Phone: (517) 373-1801
Office Location: 305 Farnum Building
To email go to: http://www.senate.michigan.gov/hardiman
Mark C. Jansen (Grand Rapids Area Senator)
Republican of District 28
Office Phone: (517) 373-0797
Office Location: 520 Farnum Buildingl
E-mail Address: SenMJansen@senate.michigan.gov
Ron Jelinek Chair Senate Appropriations Committee(Three Oaks Area)
Republican of District 21
Office Phone: (517) 373-6960
Office Location: S-324 Capitol
E-mail Address: SenRJelinek@senate.michigan.gov
Wayne Kuipers Chair of Senate Education Committee (Holland Area)
Republican of District 30
Office Phone: (517) 373-6920
Office Location: 1005 Farnum Building
E-mail Address: SenWKuipers@senate.michigan.gov
Gerald VanWoerkom Vice Chair of Senate Education Committee (Muskegon Area)
Republican of District 34
Office Phone: (517) 373-1635
Office Location: 605 Farnum Building
E-mail Address: SenGVanWoerkom@senate.michigan.gov
Gretchen Whitmer Minority Vice Chair on Senate Education Committee (Lansing Area)
Democrat of District 23
Office Phone: (517) 373-1734
Office Location: 415 Farnum Building
E-mail Address: SenGWhitmer@senate.michigan.gov