Senate panel approves Pappageorges effort to preserve 20j funding
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
LANSING — Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a measure it approved urging the House of Representatives to override the governor’s line item veto of nearly $52 million in 20j funding, said sponsor Sen. John Pappageorge, R-Troy.
“The governor’s misguided veto of 20j funding will affect 12 school districts in Oakland County,” said Pappageorge, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “The Senate passed a plan that protected this funding. It’s time for the House to stand up to the governor and do what is right and in the best interest of school children across our state and override this veto.”
Superintendents Dr. Thomas Moline from the District of the city of Royal Oak, Dr. Steve Gaynor of Bloomfield Schools, Dr. George Heitsch of Avondale Schools and representatives for Birmingham and Troy Schools all traveled to Lansing to testify in support of Senate Resolution 88 on Wednesday.
Sponsored by Pappageorge, SR 88 urges the House to override the governor’s line item veto that will have disastrous affects on 40 school districts throughout Michigan. As the School Aid budget is a House-originated bill this cycle, any override attempt must start in that chamber.
Section 20j allows hold-harmless districts to receive the same dollar increase as other school districts. Eliminating these funds will affect school districts across the state that depend on these monies.
In testimony today, Moline of Royal Oak Schools said, “Royal Oak families send more tax money to Lansing every year than our school district receives back. Whereas, most school districts raise 6 mills locally for support of their school system, 20j districts like Royal Oak pay an average 12 mills. That means that portions of our tax dollars are providing resources to other districts in the state.”
He added, “I am here today to ask you, the Michigan state Senate, to get our 20j money back. The governor’s action on October 19 regarding 20j is a promise broken – a promise made to 40 public school districts that they would not be seriously harmed by the Proposal A funding system.”
In the bipartisan School Aid budget passed by both chambers and sent to the governor, every school district was slated to receive a $165 per-pupil reduction in funding.
The six schools districts affected in the 13th District are listed below with their per pupil reductions that incorporate the governor’s veto cuts to 20j funding and the governor’s pro-rata cut of $127 per pupil.
- Avondale School District – $596 per pupil
- Birmingham Public Schools – $414 per pupil
- Bloomfield Hills School District – $411 per pupil
- Lamphere Schools (Madison Heights) – $469 per pupil
- School District of the city of Royal Oak – $554 per pupil
- Troy School District – $540 per pupil
“The governor’s extremely short-sighted actions will cripple schools in Oakland County and around the state, as they were counting on these funds to educate our children,” Pappageorge said.
SR 88 was approved by the committee and now advances to the full Senate for consideration.
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