Democrats Push to Protect Michigan School Money

By TIM MARTIN

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - The leader of the Democratic minority in the Michigan Senate reiterated Monday that warding off proposed cuts to public school funding will be her main goal as budget debates continue for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.

Sen. Gretchen Whitmer, D-East Lansing, said she could support other parts of a budget deal if Gov. Rick Snyder and Republicans who control the Legislature agree to use the school aid fund only for K-12 schools. Whitmer said that if more tax revenue comes to Michigan than expected, it should go to schools to protect them from proposed budget cuts.

Schools could lose an additional $300 per student next fiscal year under Snyder's plan, on top of a $170 per student cut that's already in place and would be continued in the next budget. Schools would lose an additional $170 per student, on top of the existing cut, under a Senate plan. The House has a plan that would make additional cuts of 3.9 percent, ranging from $285 to $331 per student.

Democrats say the cuts would force more teacher layoffs and reduced programs at Michigan's public schools.

Snyder proposes using some school aid fund money to support budgets for universities and community colleges. Democrats say Snyder is proposing the shift to help pay for his plan to slash business taxes.

"I would maintain it was a flawed budget in many ways from the beginning," Whitmer said. "The most egregious problem in the budget, I would submit, is the raid on the school aid fund."

Democrats are proposing a constitutional amendment that would ensure school aid fund money be preserved for K-12 schools.

Democrats don't have much power to shape this year's budget negotiations. Republicans hold a 26-12 edge in the Senate and a 63-47 edge in the House.

But many Republicans also say they would like to preserve as much public school funding as possible in the next fiscal year.

Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, said last week that if that revenue estimates are better than expected he would be open to exploring the possibility of further reducing the per-pupil cut.

Analysts with Snyder's administration and the nonpartisan House and Senate fiscal agencies will make new budget revenue projections in mid-May.