Michigan schools seem to have been spared any further cuts in next year's budget -- for now, anyway. The state legislature reached an agreement yesterday that would actually give the schools a little more money -- eleven dollars a student -- starting Oct. 1.
That, by the way, is when Michigan's fiscal year begins. Most institutions start their fiscal year today, July first. Michigan pushed their date three months later to deal with an earlier budget crisis many years ago. Well, at least some things never change.
The deal giving the schools a little more money was welcome news, but few educators are breaking out the Dixie cups and celebrating just yet. An eleven-dollar increase is far less than inflation, even in these relatively deflationary times.
And it comes after the schools took a terrific cut this year of at least $165 dollars a student, with some districts losing much more.
Plus, every savvy superintendent knows that Yogi Berra was right: It ain't over till it is over, and when it comes to politics, it's never really over. This deal may have been struck, but the complete budget isn't balanced yet. Once it is balanced, something that legally has to happen by September 30th, Michigan budgets have a historic tendency to become unbalanced a few months later.
Which usually means more cuts have to be made. There may be an additional ticking time bomb as well. Congress has turned down an extension of extra Medicaid assistance to the states -- all states, not just Michigan. If they don't change their minds, this will blow another half-billion dollar hole in the budget.
The governor says that could come out of health funding and possibly aid to higher education. She didn't say elementary and high school funding would be hurt -- but you never know.
By the way, the reason the legislature was able to agree on this school funding deal was that House Speaker Andy Dillon said he would try to pass a bill Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop wants, to push thousands of state employees into early retirement, a bill similar to one enacted for teachers in May.
If the new bill becomes law, it could save the state close to a hundred million dollars, by getting thousands of higher-paid workers off the payrolls and making the ones left pay more for their insurance.
That may help the state, but may hurt Dillon, who wants to be the Democratic nominee for governor. He's already been denounced by the head of the state AFL-CIO, as 'practically a Republican.'
There's another problem the school aid deal didn't address. A few weeks ago, an unexpected surplus of $230 million dollars popped up in this year's school aid fund.
Republicans want to use it to balance the current year's budget, which, once again, has a deficit. Most Democrats say no. Look this to come up again. Meanwhile, next year's budget is a long way from done, and we don't know yet how higher education will fare.
Michigan students understand how important advanced education is. The University of Michigan got a record number of applications for this fall. What remains to be seen is how big a priority our students? futures are for those who represent them.
Unfortunately, we're unlikely to know until after the legislature takes another two-week vacation break.
Isn't public service grand?
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