LANSING---Senate Democrats worked today to save school programs benefiting Michigan’s youngest pupils-including early childhood programs-to high school students as Senate Republicans eliminated funding for critical programs from the state K-12 budget, House Bill 4447.

The Senate Republicans’ version of the legislation calls for more than $400 million in cuts including an across-the-board reduction of $110 per pupil statewide, crippling schools across Michigan that depend on that funding for survival. It also removes all funding for early childhood and preschool readiness programs, middle college programs, and successful math and science programs.

“Balancing a budget by putting our children’s future at risk is not, I believe, what our constituents expect of us,” said Senator Irma Clark-Coleman (D-Detroit), a member of the K-12 Senate Appropriations subcommittee. “Our students should be our priority, and Senate Republicans should have worked with us to fully fund the school readiness and math and science programs, including the highly successful Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program, that our students need in order to succeed later in college and the job market.”

“The $110 cut to the foundation grant supported by Senate Republicans is unconscionable at any time, and particularly now when we are trying to create a new economy and prepare our young students for future jobs,” said Sen. John J. Gleason (D-Flushing). “And I can’t believe that they would be so quick to turn their backs on the state’s special education students. This budget is bad for our students and bad for Michigan’s future.”

Senate Democrats offered the following amendments to the Senate Republicans’ version of House Bill 4447:

• Restore the $110 per pupil funding cut, funding critical to school budgets around the state.

• Restore 90% of funding for declining enrollment grants to help lessen the devastating impact to school districts of the loss of students.

• Restore 90% of funding for small high schools with a focus on personal attention and engaging and real-world applicable curriculum.

• Restore 90% of funding for early childhood programs like school readiness, 0-3 and great start programs.

• Restore 90% of funding for the Pre-College Engineering Programs.

• Restore 90% of funding for health science middle college.

• Uphold essential funding for special education and vocational education.

The Senate Republican Majority successfully defeated all of the Democratic-introduced amendments and maintained their $400 million in cuts to K-12 education.

“Cutting funding to our schools is not going to help us attract new businesses to our state or keep our workers here in Michigan,” said Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing). “When families consider whether or not to leave Michigan to find work, their child’s school is going to play a part in that decision. By not properly funding our schools, we are turning our backs on our students and driving families out of Michigan.”

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