Farmington

FPS opposes giving school aid money to community colleges

By David Wallace
C & G Staff Writer

FARMINGTON — Farmington Public Schools Board of Education members took time at the end of their Aug. 24 meeting to ask the public to oppose a plan to use state school aid funds for community colleges.

The recommendation to use the money in such a way came from Gov. Jennifer Granholm. The plan is to take approximately $208 million from the school aid fund and use it to cover the state’s general fund appropriation to Michigan’s 28 community colleges. Combined with an additional $94 million in federal funds from changes to the way the federal government funds prescription drug coverage for Medicare- and Medicaid-eligible senior citizens, the maneuvers offset a $302.7 million shortfall in the current fiscal year.

The governor’s office refers to the school aid fund money as a surplus, as the 2009-2010 fiscal year revenue estimate in July showed revenues exceeding expenditures in the school aid fund; however, school officials don’t see it that way after taking a $165 per student cut in funding during the past school year and another $191 per student cut when the governor vetoed 20j funding, which refers to a section of the School Aid Act.

“This shell game is one that really isn’t providing benefit to community colleges. It’s merely a way to take money out — not a surplus, because guess what, we’re still $300 in arrears on what they promised us. It’s not a surplus, but this is a way to solve another problem by kicking the can down the road further,” said Farmington Public Schools Board of Education Trustee Frank Reid.

At the discussion’s root is the idea that if one triages school funding, community colleges have more opportunities to obtain funding than K-12 school districts.

“This is a deep concern of ours because community colleges are able to ask for the voters to approve operational millages, and we can’t,” said Farmington Board of Education Treasurer Karen Bolsen. “And they can also raise tuition.”

She said the district does not want to pit itself against community colleges.

“However, we don’t feel we want someone taking our funds and using them somewhere else, when we’re in such dire need of funding,” said Bolsen. “You’ve heard (at the school board meeting) tonight all the reconfigurations that we’ve gone through as a school district.”

The money given from the school aid fund would not be paid back to the fund at a later date.

“It would be giving our money away,” said Bolsen.

She hopes the public will get involved.

“It’s very concerning, and I hope that the public will let the governor know that we’re very upset about this, and let your legislators know,” said Bolsen.

Oakland Community College, which has its Orchard Ridge Campus in Farmington Hills, took a pragmatic position on the controversy.

“We are supportive of resources for all of education, which is a continuum from K-12 through the university level,” said George Cartsonis, the college’s communications director.

He noted that Oakland Community College deals with students coming from the K-12 system.

“Anything that harms them harms us down the line,” said Cartsonis.

“I think it’s preliminary for us to speculate on the outcomes of this controversy at this point, because there are many negotiations that will take place before a definitive conclusion is reached,” said Cartsonis.

He expects that public schools and parents will make themselves heard.

“It’s a long way from being over, as far as this goes,” he said.

Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Sue Zurvalec added another dimension to the conversation about taking money from the school aid fund.

“Not only will it kick the can down the road, that funding cliff is going to be horrific a year from now,” said Zurvalec.

At that time, federal funds such as those from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be gone.

A day after the school board meeting, the governor’s recommendation to use the school aid fund money for community colleges won approval in the state House with a 57-47 vote. State Rep. Vicki Barnett, who represents Farmington and Farmington Hills in Lansing, voted against the bill.

The bill now goes to the state Senate.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer David Wallace at dwallace@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1053.