School funding: A grandparent’s perspective

When it comes to Farmington’s school budget crisis, I’ve got no dog in the fight.

My kids are grown up, and my grandchildren go to school in Maryland. But I care about Farmington, because I live here. And I believe that when you’ve enjoyed a benefit, you best make sure you’re doing the same – or more – for those who come after you.

So I decided to educate myself. I’ll say this: If you feel you have not been informed or your voice hasn’t been heard in this process, you’ve got nobody to blame but yourself.

School officials are holding three public hearings, with morning and evening time slots. They have posted a dizzying amount of information on-line. They have even given you the opportunity to complete a survey, so they will know what you do and do not want them to reduce and/or eliminate. (All this at http://www.farmington.k12.mi.us)

I learned some things:

1) “…lottery profits account for only approximately 6% of the school aid fund, not the magnitude that is misrepresented with the commercials. The largest slices of the school aid pie are sales tax (41.60%), state education tax (16.06%) and income tax (18.98%).” (From “The Lottery Misrepresentation”) Complete surprise to me.

2) Farmington’s athletic programs don’t generate nearly enough revenues to off-set the cost of providing the programs. This is presented a little differently on the District’s Web site, but the total budget for athletics is $2.3 million, the combination of pay-to-play fees and gate admissions amounts to just $385,000.  Seems like a no-brainer to raise admission prices, and I would suggest not only for athletics. Performing arts programs should be paying their own way, too.

3) Reducing/restructuring curriculum coordinator positions (6-8) would save half- to three-quarters of a million dollars. Reductions to the staff development budget could save half a million dollars or more.

4) The school lunch program covers its direct costs and provides $100,000 to the district’s general fund budget to cover indirect costs, like refuse disposal and custodial services.

5) The District transfers money from the general fund for new bus purchases, capital projects and technology. Not doing just that one thing would save $2.85 million.

6) The District could save millions by reducing programs that help struggling learners do better in the classroom, teach English to immigrants, provide enrichment programs for high-level learners and provide instruction for kids who are musically inclined. But then parents and others in the community are going to have step it up and do more to support our children’s education.

The on-line documents provide a detailed look at how the District spends its money. We might disagree over what’s important and what’s not. Lord knows I have no idea what a curriculum coordinator does, or how much technical support is needed for four high schools, four middle schools, 13 elementary schools, two early childhood centers, administration, et al.

That’s what these budget forums and the survey are all about. We need to educate ourselves, draw on our own understanding and values, and let our elected officials know what we’d like them to do, budget-wise.

But there is another step we cannot miss, because having a voice in our local budget is only the beginning of what all of us need to do. We also need to make sure our state officials know it’s time to stop fooling around and fix education funding. An interesting and easy-to-understand explanation of the education funding crisis is on-line: http://www.wash.k12.mi.us/movies/misfc3/

But all anyone really needs to know is that 41% of school district funding comes from sale tax revenues, 19% from income tax revenues and 16% from the state education (property) tax – all of which are in a steep decline.

A recent Detroit News story presented some interesting ideas for tax reform. (You can read it here.)   All of them require our state lawmakers to open their minds and check their ideologies at the door. This is a time for “big picture” thinking, not small-minded turf wars, because of what’s at stake.

Our public school system provides a free education for every child who walks through the doors, regardless of race, creed, color, ability to speak English, special needs or challenges.

Teachers aren’t just teachers any more, they are caretakers for children who are hungry and homeless, who have life-threatening food allergies and other serious illnesses, who have developmental and cognitive disabilities, who are neglected and abused, whose home lives have been disrupted by divorce, job loss, bankruptcy, foreclosure. We can no longer treat our schools as though every child who walks through the door has a “Leave it to Beaver” home life, not even in Farmington Public Schools.

Today’s education takes more, costs more – and gives more than ever before. Could it be better? Of course! But not if we keep whittling away at its foundation.

We should continue to set the academic bar high, and we cannot do that without adequate, stable funding.  We have to tell our lawmakers to work harder for our kids. Heck, we have to work harder for our kids. No matter what you think about the process, be a part of it. Make your voice heard locally and in Lansing. Write to your elected officials, to the Governor, to leaders of both parties in the state legislature. Attend one of the upcoming public hearings. Volunteer. Share innovative ideas.

As a wise person once said, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.”

–JH-G

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