According to Superintendent Dr. Al Roberts, the district’s budget problems stem from state funding and budget calendar, legal issues surrounding contracts, and state graduation requirements.
“Districts across the state are, or will be facing enormous financial problems within the next year or two,” Roberts said. “We are trying very hard to find additional ways to save dollars, consolidation and revenue enhancements; but the real answer to solving this statewide problem is to truly restructure the way we use public funds to foster excellence.”
Anita Banach, director of communications and marketing, agreed.
“No matter what, reductions have to be made based on the reduced amount of funding that is predicted for next year, both in state per pupil amount and PA 18 special education funding (due to falling property tax revenue),” she said. “We also have an expected increase in retirement costs that the governor has implemented.”
The state can help by aligning school and state budget cycles, said Kerry Birmingham, media relations specialist with Michigan Education Association.
“We can’t do this on cuts alone and expect kids to be prepared for jobs needed in the future,” Birmingham said. “It’s a short-term solution.”
Schools must approve budgets by July 1, and the state doesn’t finish its budget until Oct. 1, which isn’t fair, she said.
“You can’t base a budget on guesses,” she said. “It puts every school district in a huge bind and makes it very difficult to plan.”
Roberts agreed.
“This is a fact that should lead all of us who care about the quality of life here in Michigan to ask, ‘what is wrong with the way we fund schools,'” Roberts said.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm highlighted the reform in her 2010 State of the State address, as well as her budget presentation, Feb. 11.
State Rep. Eileen Kowall, R-District 44, representing the Clarkston area, also supports moving state budget deadline up to July 1.
‘It would more accurately coincide with the school budget cycle,? Kowall said. ‘It would give schools better numbers to go on, some stability in these difficult times.?
Prospects for making the change look good, she said.
‘There seems to be the political will to do it,? she said. ‘It would be a good thing to get it there and take the pain early ? delaying doesn’t do anything. We just need to do it.”
She has been talking and meeting with local school superintendents, including Roberts, to discuss school reforms.
‘Very much so,? Kowall said. ‘This is a big thing with them.?
Reform ideas also include eliminating unfunded mandates, such as reporting requirements from school districts to the state, Kowall said.
“The current system is unsustainable,” she said. “We need to look for ways to make the state more competitive, bring job providers here ? that’s the key.”
For long-term reform, the association works with A Better Michigan Future. Ideas include graduated income tax and sales tax extended to services and luxury items, to increase revenue, audit government contracts to reduce wasteful spending, and eliminate tax incentives for companies losing jobs, while requiring yearly performance reviews for the others.
“Michigan needs fundamental reform of the way it funds schools ? it can’t continue this way,” Birmingham said. “It’s devastating to kids ? it does a disservice to them. People are tired of it.”
In her Feb. 11 budget address, Granholm called for sales tax and other changes which, if approved, would restore the $165 per-pupil cut this year. Her plan calls for lowering sales tax from 6 percent to 5.5 percent, while broadening the base to include other services. All revenue would go to schools.
‘Schools took huge cuts last year. That’s enough,” she said.
Clarkston will probably not make immediate budget changes based on the governor’s plan, said Steve Hyer, Clarkston Board of Education president.
“The state budget goes through a long and complex process ? we will not waste our time chasing every different plan that is talked about in Lansing through that long process,” Hyer said. “We have set budget parameters for the creation of our 2010-2011 school year budget and we will stick to those parameters unless we have definitive information that would cause us to adjust those. Unfortunately it is very difficult to get clear direction from the state through their budget process.”