Three Questions to ask your Legislator

I've just come from Lansing where the Michigan PTSA was selling cookies on the Capitol lawn to raise money for schools and to make a point you already know—there's a problem with funding for Michigan schools. There were a handful of school groups and parents there, but we need many more.

The bottom line is that we have about a week to convince the Legislature—the Senate in particular—to come up with funding to offset the $127 per pupil cuts. We need more parents to come to Lansing and engage in face-to-face dialogue with legislators.

We need your help sustaining the flow of parents, administrators and school supporters going to Lansing. I know it’s frustrating to talk with legislators who don't seem to be responsive, but know that the cumulative effort of all your actions makes a difference. In fact, it’s essential for both the short- and long-term.

For the balance of this week and next we’re asking you to coordinate visits to Lansing, especially with Republican senators. We're asking that superintendents communicate with each other in each county and get at least one district per day to visit your legislators. That means three districts from your area need to make a commitment—one each for Dec. 8, 9 and 10. Please assist this important effort by helping to coordinate these visits.

Our messages are simple. Ask your legislators three questions:

1) Are you willing to use ARRA stimulus funds set aside for 2010-11 to eliminate the $127 per pupil cuts? Will you support passage of HB 4860? If not, why? Your legislator may respond that if they support the bill it will leave a bigger hole for 2010-11. Yes it may. However, if it comes next year, schools will have time to prepare and plan for the cuts versus in the middle of their current budget year. Also, it gives us time to address the underlying issues between now and next year and mitigate or eliminate the need for a reduction. Isn't that what we should be doing? This doesn’t involve a tax increase or closing any loopholes; rather a shift in the timing of how available dollars will be spent.

2) Are you willing to change the school finance status quo? Will you support the creation of a funding system to replace the "broken" Proposal A system? If not, why? What are your ideas on what we should do and how we should do it? Is the status quo acceptable to you?

3) Will you support the creation of a statewide health insurance pooling system if it will save school district resources while maintaining a good level of benefits? If not, why? Alternatively, would you be willing to support a state law that requires all public employees to pay a portion (15-20 percent or a fixed dollar amount) of their health care premium costs?

When meeting with your legislator, express your openness to new ideas and approaches for how schools are funded and operate. Ask them what they think needs to be done. We need changes now that will help save cost. It’s prudent to listen to your legislators’ thoughts and respond thoughtfully.

Your senator may say something to the effect of: “We’ve passed revenue increases that we’ve sent to the House for consideration... the ball is in their court.” Yes, the Senate passed a package of changes. However, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury, the net revenue of the Senate Republican package for the General Fund is: FY 2010—a positive $40.3 million; FY 2011—a negative $126.9 million; FY 2012—a negative $362.3 million. Therefore the overall effect of the proposal is significantly negative for Michigan’s budget.

The School Aid Fund would see a slight positive effect of $125 million this year, then $36 million for each year thereafter, but the overall impact is a significant reduction. The largest source of revenue for this package comes from freezing the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is a tax credit for the working poor. The largest expense in the proposal is to phase out the Michigan Business Tax Surcharge. We may agree that should be done, but disagree with how they’re doing it, especially since there’s no systemic fix for school funding in their proposal.

If they use the, “The ball is in their court,” rationale, don’t let them off the hook! That proposal doesn’t address fundamental issues of school finance, and actually makes our current situation worse. Where will the state come up with an additional $362 million in 2012 to deal with this?

Finally, as you go to Lansing, be prepared to continually remind your legislators of: 1) What your district has done in the past several years to contain costs—whether collaborative ventures, consolidating services, contracting out; and 2) The effects of the current $292 per pupil cuts and the prospect for at least another $200 per pupil reduction for 2010-11. Let them know how these cuts will affect kids in your district and how your parents feel about it.

We really need a big push in the next week, and we'll continue to ask you for a coordinated effort to keep the grassroots pressure on Lansing. That’s what it will take to get the movement we need. Go to the SOS Web site, www.sosmichigan.org, for complete information. We're still working on materials and preparing a series of videos about taxes, the economy and community engagement for schools. We have lots of plans and will provide you the support you ask for, but right now, we need your help in getting to legislators on the short-term issues. Please take time to help make a difference.

Thank you for all you do!

Tom White, SOS Chair