Posted on 02/26/2002 4:58:30 AM PST by Dan from Michigan
School funding faces scrutiny
Democrats plan to fight Engler's Proposal A plan
By Stacey Range
Lansing State Journal
As Democrats look to unseat Republicans at every level of government this year, one of the main targets of their complaints will be Gov. John Engler's crowning achievement: Proposal A.
Two of the top Democratic candidates for governor have said they want to change the system that reformed Michigan's school funding formula in 1994 to more evenly distribute funds between wealthy and poor districts. Former Gov. James Blanchard and Attorney General Jennifer Granholm say they want changes that would allow property taxes to again be increased locally and for taxable property values to again be subject to large annual increases.
They say the system needs to be adjusted to deal with issues such as districts faced with state aid cuts due to falling enrollments and others that get less than inflationary increases because their spending levels are at the high end of the spectrum.
Republicans vehemently defend the system, which they say raised the sales tax to generate state revenue for school operations; freed districts from repeated attempts to raise property taxes; and protects property owners against sharp increases in taxable values.
Among the Republican defenders is House Speaker Rick Johnson, who served six years on the Pine River School Board in LeRoy, in the northeast Lower Peninsula.
Question: You've taken the position that there's no need to tweak the program. Why do you say that?
Answer: I have been involved in public education since 1980, and since Proposal A funding has more than doubled in my own district. Next year, schools will get $6,700 for each student. Had you told me that 10 years ago I would have said no way. This would be very tough to do under the old system. Funding was a huge problem we faced year in and year out. Proposal A has filled that void and I don't see any way we can tweak it without opening the door and seeing property taxes increase again.
Q: Isn't it true that since school funding under Proposal A is based on sales tax that schools are more susceptible to economic downtimes such as we're in now?
A: I don't believe that. Yes, funding uses sales tax and some things change. But it's not just sales tax that suffers in a downturn. If we hike up property taxes again some people would lose their homes, especially some senior citizens. It's worked great as it is. It works with the economy as it improves. We've been able to adjust in the last few months of our downturn. If schools today had to go out and ask for money in today's economy, it would be a hard sale.
Q: Are you saying nothing needs to be looked at?
A: I'm saying that when the program is working, we sure don't change it. It's been a great success story and it continues to be. People are prepared to not just tweak the system but tear it down and taxpayers would severely suffer with higher taxes and less money for schools.
Q: Are Republicans prepared to fight Democratic candidates on this issue.
A: Definitely. I'm calling it tearing down Proposal A. It's going to be a great issue for us to campaign on. Proposal A is the one single thing that's been done in this decade that will outlast us all.
Blanchard was the archtitect of that, and Jenny Grandstand agrees with Blanchard on this and is following her Cal Berkeley education she has.
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