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Schools, Politics, and Common Sense

Schools, Politics, and Common Sense
This is a blog that focuses on Birmingham schools and the state and national issues that impact its students, parents, teachers and taxpayers. We include discussions on taxes, strategic vision, special issues and other topics. This site is also a way
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Articles

MPSERS, The Pension Problems Grow
2010-09-29 21:02:00
Announced today, the employer contribution required to bail out the Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System will jump from an already astronomical 19.41% to 20.66% beginning in October 1, 2010. That’s a 6.4% increase levied to schools that are dealing with funding cuts of 2% to 4% The 20.66% rate is charged to districts on every dollar of employee compensation and has displaced $4.8 billion from school operating budgets from 2007 to 2009. The 20.66% rate is 3% higher than it would otherwise be because of the MEA’s legal action objecting to an employee contribution of 3% to help fund retirement health care costs. If the MEA succeeds in it’s legal action, it may have the perverse effect of killing this part of the pension plan. If the MEA fails in its legal action, the health care benefit may be preserved for retirees and contribution rates from the schools will fall correspondingly (which will have the positive effect of keeping more teachers employed). The h...
More About: Problems , Pension
A Full Year Algebra Course With iPad App
2010-09-16 17:21:00
This article is from David Winograd, he has a doctorate in Instructional Technology and follows new developments for the tech blog TUAW (The Unofficial Apple Weblog). The point of the video, and the iPad application (and this could be any "tablet" device) is the ability to tap into the variety of learning styles (visual, auditory, tactile, etc.) across a spectrum of student needs. What I find exciting is how these types of applications might allow teachers to leverage their skills to tap into these different learning styles. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a major textbook company, has launched a year long pilot project with the HMH Fuse: Holt McDougal Algebra 1 full year algebra course on an iPad. The course mirrors all the content of the Holt McDougal Larson Algebra 1 2011 textbook currently being used in many schools.The pilot project includes 400 eighth grade students in the San Francisco, Long Beach, Riverside, and Fresno, California school districts. One group is using the HMH Fuse...
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How Greek’s Debt Crisis Can Inform Michigan’s Pension Debate
2010-05-07 15:24:00
Michigan’s teacher pension fund (MPSERS) is underfunded by nearly $61 billion. This massive debt is split between an unfunded pension liability of $35 billion (supported by Manhattan Institute study) and an unfunded health care promise, known as OPEB, of $26 billion (from MPSERS financial statement). Michigan's total budget is $43 billion (see here, slide 19). MPSERS unfunded liability equals 142% of Michigan's total budget. The Greek debt crisis is fueled by debt levels that will exceed 120% of Greek’s gross domestic product. While not an apples to apples comparison the message is clear, spending more than you make is not sustainable. The debate regarding proposals to mandate new MPSERS entitlements for health care is irresponsible. MPSERS funding requirements are crippling school budgets with a tax on districts approaching nearly 20% on every salary dollar. The proposed amendment to enshrine health care in SB 1227 will add to that burden for generations. Greece, ...
More About: Debate , Inform , Debt , Pension
SB 1227, Winners and Losers
2010-04-26 18:34:00
Currently the Michigan House is contemplating language which will increase the retirement multiplier from 1.5 to 1.7. This will, without offsetting cuts, add to a pension fund which has seen it’s funded status fall from the high 80% mark to an abysmal 51% (after pulling back the curtain of “smoothing” and the application of realistic investment assumptions). A $60 billion dollar unfunded pension liability is bad, enacting legislation to increase the size of this unfunded burden by $4.3 billion is very bad. How would this change have an impact on the interested constituents? Here are just a few possibilities. The Winners : All teachers that choose to retire this year (assuming they were already considering retirement). The MEA which will claim this a “victory” for its members. Legislators that will claim a “cost savings” for schools. Short term school budgets that will see lower cost teachers replace higher cost teachers. The Losers : All teachers that do not cho...
Manhattan Institute Confirms Michigan's $60 Billion Pension Nightmare
2010-04-21 16:34:00
The true scope of Michigan’s unfunded teacher pension (MPSERS) disaster has been verified by Josh Barro and Stuart Buck. The two researchers examined fifty-nine state run teacher pension plans and have quantified the massive underreporting of pension liabilities. While recent losses in market values contribute to the problem, the authors focus on the aggressive assumptions buried deep in the financial footnotes. The authors conclude that the assumptions employed by pension funds conceal the magnitude of the funding problem. It is a problem which falls squarely on the shoulders of taxpayers, students, and teachers. Their analysis highlights the deeply flawed and misleading pension reporting of the MPSERS Audit. The numbers for Michigan are sobering, but are consistent with what I have been writing about for years. From their report (page 16 of Civic Report No. 61), Michigan discloses an unfunded pension liability of $8.9 billion. The realistic* unfunded pension liability is ...
More About: Nightmare , Pension , Manhattan
Senate Bill 1227 (SB 1227) Is A Fix Worth Implementing
2010-04-17 02:53:00
The reforms proposed by SB 1227 are sensible and fair. The changes envisioned by SB 1227 address fundamental structural problems which, if left unchanged, threaten the viability of the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS). The Senate Fiscal Agency shows that SB 1227 will save over $3.5 billion over the first 10 years. Longer term savings will continue to grow and will help to erode the $35 billion to $60 billion of unfunded liabilities currently embedded in the system.The MEA is fighting this reform with the statement SB 1277 will not solve Michigan's budget crisis. The MEA misses the point; SB 1277 is just one of MANY changes that MUST be made to ensure we address current and future budgetary problems. Encourage our state representatives to support SB 1277, it will be good for MPSERS, and good for our state.Without sensible reforms like SB 1227, MPSERS will drag Michigan’s economy down a fiscal black hole taking tax payers, school districts, and teach...
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Michigan's Pension -- Who Will Pay The Bill?
2010-04-08 17:19:00
The following is from my article in The Center for Michigan's Newsletter -- this version contains the supporting links to pension documents:The Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) is on a doomsday course to fiscal ruin, while continuing to assert its own financial health as “good.” Using aggressive accounting and market assumptions, the appointed board of MPSERS is growing the funding deficit by billions each year beyond the funds reported deficit. This hidden and unreported underfunding amounts to as much as $12 billion and is in addition to the reported loss of over $17.9 billion in assets for the last two years. Warren Buffett has said, “pension accounting encourages cheating,” and MPSERS engages in aggressive pension accounting.To clarify, MPSERS manages two programs for all public school and university employees and retirees; a pension fund and an “Other Post Employment Benefits” (OPEB) fund which pays for health, dental, and vision benefit...
More About: Pension
Ruth Beier's Testimony on HB 5963
2010-03-19 18:58:00
Ruth Beier, the MEA’s Economist, testified March 18 on House Bill 5963 (HB 5963). The full transcript is here: (Testimony on HB 5963). She states that Michigan is in financial crisis. She notes there will not be sufficient funds to cover the basic foundation allowance this and next year. Then she states that taxpayer money is used to provide education, not build up a bank account -- and this is where she goes off the rails. She states that, “20% of [taxpayer] education tax dollars get put in a bank,” this is a complete fabrication. Ms. Beier did not highlight a single school district to support her claim because no district in last 15 years has diverted anything close 20% (or 10%, or 5%...) of their foundation allowance to a bank account!Districts with fund equity balances have them because of pre Proposition A funding which relied on local taxes for operations and capital requirements. Ms. Beier ignores that the operating balances at school districts across the state have b...
Oakland Press: Budget Cuts Loom For Schools
2010-03-01 14:49:00
The Oakland Press has done a very nice job in presenting a summary of what Oakland County schools face regarding budget issues. I won't repeat the whole article (which you can read here) but a quote by Vickie Markavitch sums it up: “What has happened is the economy has fallen out from under us,” said Vickie Markavitch, superintendent of Oakland Schools . “If nothing is done, you will eventually have schools probably with shortened days and a very reduced curriculum."The challenge is multifaceted but one thing is clear, costs must be cut because revenue (regardless of the source mix) will remain down for the foreseeable future.
More About: Budget
A Very Broken Pension Get Granholm's Attention
2010-02-02 03:44:00
Governor Granholm made the following recommendations that target the escalating cost of the MPSERS retirement system:Employee contributions to the plan will increase by 3 percent for all employees except those in the MIP Plus program, whose contribution was increased in 2008. MIP Plus members’ contribution will increase by 0.9 percent. Elimination of subsidized retiree vision and dental coverage for school employees retiring with an effective date after October 1, 2010. Retirees will be able to purchase this coverage for a monthly fee through the plan. The retirement multiplier will be increased from 1.5 percent to 1.6 percent for employees who retire with an effective date between July 1 and September 1, 2010, which will be paid by the applicable school districts. A new, more cost-effective retirement plan for new employees hired on or after October 1, 2010 will be created. New employees will participate in both a base defined benefit plan and a defined contribution plan. Phased-...
More About: Pension
"We’ve gone from being a relatively wealthy state to a non-wealthy state.
2010-01-12 16:24:00
“We’ve gone from being a relatively wealthy state to a non-wealthy state,” said Senate Fiscal Agency Executive Director Gary Olson. “This is the issue now and into the future. The state needs to face the reality of that economic decline.” This new reality requires adjustments from nearly every sector. The response to this reality does not need to define a LONG term future for Michigan. What Gary Olson points to is the immediate horizon which dictates activity and expectations over the next two to five years. How we collectively respond (the state and business) will help dictate the long term wealth of Michigan. The article goes on: "Given the stark news, which has been the norm for Michigan for 10 years, a comprehensive restructuring of the state’s budget process is needed to avoid policymakers making “changes on the margin” year after year, advised George Fulton, director of the University of Michigan’s Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics." A major take...
More About: State
About the race to the top..
2010-01-08 20:58:00
There was precious little in the RTTT grant directed to Birmingham, or to the other school districts that chose not to sign the RTTT grant request. For Birmingham, the grant may have cost the district more than the award.So why would this district, and others, choose to not sign a memorandum of understanding related to the Federal RTTT (Race to the Top) program?First some facts:Birmingham would only be eligible for up to $60,000 in federal funds under RTTT,Federal program dollars come with compliance requirements, in this case compliance costs would probably outweigh the monetary benefit,For districts like Pontiac, which stands to gain $3 Million, the benefits far exceed the costs,The agreement we were asked to sign states the plan has YET TO BE PROMULGATED; in other words the memo asks the district to sign up for something that is not complete, has not been published, and will affect the district in unknown ways (in requirements and costs).The program required the signature of a bo...
Birmingham Public Schools - Character Education Matters: Part Two
2009-11-30 21:48:00
In June of 2007 I wrote about Birmingham’s Character Education program and how one of our schools, Birmingham Covington was recognized as a National School of Character winner by the Character Education Part nership. I noted that character education was and is a part of our strategic plan, a plan that is reviewed every year and is renewed every five years. Now, adding to the list of national winners is Greenfield Elementary school, one of 10 national winners recognized as a 2009 National School of Character. To quote from the press release: “The winning schools demonstrate that school transformation is possible through low-cost, high-quality character education initiatives. They have closed the achievement gap and raised academic expectations for all students, built strong relationships and partnerships between parents, teachers, and students, and given their students opportunities to serve their communities.” There were over 185 schools from 26 States represented. Congrat...
More About: Schools , Public
Bringing Jobs To Michigan
2009-11-02 15:18:00
MiSN Homeland Security Market Leadership Conference information: The Michigan Security Network (MiSN, www.michigansecuritynetwork.com), a non-profit organization, announced a Joint Venture between MiSN, Wayne State University (WSU) and the Kauffman Foundation. In support of its mission to accelerate homeland security technology development, investment and jobs in Michigan, the joint venture will provide training, "FREE", for aspiring entrepreneurs as well as mature businesses interested in this growing market. The training will be offered through WSU’s TechTown in the form of FastTrac™ programs designed with homeland security content provided by Michigan Security Network. FastTrac is a practical, hands-on business development program designed to help entrepreneurs hone their skills needed to create, manage and grow a successful business. FastTrac is a globally renowned program created by the Kansas City-based Marion Ewing Kauffman Foundation, a TechTown partner organization an...
More About: Jobs
Lori Soifer - Best Choice for Birmingham School Board
2009-10-30 15:26:00
In times of crisis, experience counts. Lori’s experience as an expert in the development of policies and programs which promote innovative and cost effective learning strategies is vital to our school board. Her commitment to achievement for all students is critical as we embrace the broader fiscal challenges confronting public education in Michigan, and how those challenges impact Birmingham. Lori has made the hard choices that board members from other districts have avoided (like privatizing transportation and custodial services). Those decisions have saved tens of millions of dollars that now remain in the classroom where they belong, all while maintaing a balanced budget. There is no person better qualified to help us meet the task ahead. Lori's commitment to academic excellence ensures that Birmingham's students will continue to lead the state.If you would like to learn more, visit Lori Soifer's site here. I trust that you'll see an unmatched commitment as a volunte...
More About: School , Board , Choice
Governor Granholm Honored as National Education Policy Leader of the Year
2009-10-22 16:24:00
Is this a cruel joke? The press release is here: Governor Granholm Honored as National Education Policy Leader of the Year. Why the National Association of State Boards of Education did this, at this time, is at the least bitterly ironic. I would suggest they contact members of the boards of education that just had their budgets deliberately targeted and slashed by this Governor if she is really a leader worth celebrating. Yes, she adopted more rigorous standards for high school graduation, but she just made it much harder for teachers in 40 districts to help their students reach those standards, while breaking the promise at the heart of Proposal A's funding legislation. It seems to me there is no reason why the NASBE can't change course. They certainly have not highlighted the choice on their web site (I can't find anything). Contact the Executive Director, Brenda Welburn via email here: brendaw@nasbe.org, you can also contact her at 703-684-4000 or fax at 703-836-23...
An Now for Something Completely Different
2009-10-17 03:27:00
I've been working with a very talented team of people for the last six months putting together a new non-profit initiative call the Michigan Security Network. This effort, initiated by CEO Leslie Touma, is designed to bring new jobs to Michigan that focus on opportunities in the Cyber Security, Bio-Defense, and Boarder Defense areas of the Homeland Defense Network. We’ve created a partnership of Universities and corporations that links schools like Wayne State University, U of M, Michigan State, and Lawrence Tech, with firms like General Dynamics, DTE, Roush and Dow to support virtual incubators for promising research applications and spin out opportunities from existing corporations.Additional support is provided by the Kauffman Foundation and Wayne State through "FastTrac Training" to facilitate technology startups. The objective of this work is to retain and recruit new jobs for Michigan's technologically advanced work force. The inaugural event is November 4th; a confe...
The Cliff
2009-10-16 18:58:00
A new report from the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government highlights the funding cliff we’ve been hearing about. The Politics K-12 blog summarizes this report in an article: Stimulus Funding Cliff Is a Reality The Rockefeller report (full report can be found here, caution opens a .pdf file) reveals how difficult the challenge for our state is, and will be, in the future. Individual state statistics highlight Michigan’s plight. We are consistently leading the decline or are number 1 or 2 in states that have lost income, tax revenues, and jobs. The data shows the depth and breath of the impact of this recession, and Michigan is far from alone. In the total measure of declining economic activity, Michigan leads the list having fallen 23.7 points from January 2007 compared to the US average of a 3.4 point decline (page 13). An interesting anomaly is the increase in sales tax collections from 6/08 to 6/09; that component jumped 12.1% as personal income tax and cor...
An Apology To the MEA
2009-10-15 22:28:00
I'm sorry. That's to the MEA. Apparently some feel that I've attacked them which is not my intent. I consider the MEA to be an integral part of fashioning a solution to the mess we face in funding schools today. Schools stand to lose nearly 10 years of funding increases over the next 24 months, this fact is only debated as to how much larger the shortfall will become. There is no single solution to the problem, there is no single bad actor. Whether it's a combination of tax changes (e.g., why has the beer and wine tax stayed the same since the ice age), adjustments to total compensation (which can include benefits), or an overhaul of the whole system, we need all players at the table soon. So again MEA, I'm sorry. I'm just looking for help from you, the Legislature, the Governor, and the thousands of other players involved in this undertaking. I may be alone in this but I don't think we have any time to waste.
Michigan Needs to Help Schools With Pensions
2007-10-25 19:01:00
Although the state has provided a welcome break to schools in the form of a temporary retreat on the pension contribution rate (this year is 16.72% versus last years requirement of 17.74% as the result of "revaluing" the pension investment portfolio - click here to see letter), the problem is, and will continue to overwhelm school budgets - next year the requirement is projected to be over 20%, for Birmingham that's about $2.1 million (or $266/student) ADDITIONAL pension cost.The following chart illustrates the burden that the unfunded pension and health care liabilities are placing on all school budgets. Note the striking increase in the unfunded burden. These costs are simply given to schools with no corresponding increase in funding.Proposed and actual changes in state law may help alleviate the problem in the longer term; new legislation includes increased employee contributions to the pension plan and extended vesting periods prior to the ability to collect full benefits. The...
More About: Schools , Michigan , Needs
Technology in the Birmingham School District
2007-10-08 22:32:00
I've taken some time to put this post together and it shows just a small overview of a report given to the board last May. Everyone was very impressed with how some of our teachers are using the technology resources to expand learning opportunities for our kids. If you have about 8 1/2 minutes to spare - I've packaged some of the highlights (but not all, the presentation was about 45 minutes). I am convinced that what we are seeing is only tip of the creative iceberg, teachers will continue to expand the utilization of "21st Century" learning tools. These are types of initiatives we are supporting at BPS with board policy that will have a positive impact on students, teachers, and the wider community. The enthusiasm exhibited by these teachers reflects how effective application of new technology raises everyones energy for learning. Enjoy the video and please leave a comment.
More About: Technology , School , District , Birmingham , Strict
The Budget Shell Game
2007-10-08 15:15:00
I've resisted posts about the state budget because local school districts still don't know what our funding is going to look like. In Birmingham we budgeted for lower total funding in this school year. That is a reflection of past experience, projections of slightly lower enrollment, and a complete lack of confidence that Lansing will actually fix it global budgetary issues.Even after the so called budget compromise, it continues to look like a shell game for school funding. There seems to be calls for yet another attack on districts like Birmingham, known as hold harmless districts, as a way to provide funding for other districts. I've posted how we are funded and the attack on 20J funds reflects a basic ignorance of the complex mechanics of school finance. Regardless, please write your representatives (contact list here) and encourage them to protect our district from unwarranted attacks on our budgets - ask them to protect 20J funds.
More About: Shell , Game , Budget , L Game
Birmingham Schools - A Message Revisited
2007-10-07 04:37:00
Why am I running again for the Birmingham Board of Education?It's a question my friends ask because they mistakenly assume that service on the board is a thankless job. It is a hard job that takes a significant amount of time and dedication (for no pay) but it's far from thankless. The energy and passion of this district's professional staff is contagious, and I see the results every day in my children. I believe my education and professional background in finance is a meaningful addition to a talented board, especially at this time of economic turmoil.So the simple answer is this: by serving on the board I'm making a meaningful contribution to something that really matters to my family and me - keeping our school system great.
More About: Schools , Message , Mess
It was true then, it's true now.
2007-10-02 03:47:00
Last year I submitted the following commentary in support of our millage renewal, it was less a request and more a reminder of what we all want from our schools. Voters passed the renewal with a 74% margin. Once again, voters will be looking to the bottom of the ballot, and in the case of Terri McCardell for a pen to write in her name, for two seats on the Birmingham school board. It's an important choice and worth the effort to learn where the candidates stand. I hope you'll find my views as expressed in this blog worth supporting with one of your two votes.Amidst sometimes hostile criticism of public education, Birmingham Public Schools enjoys an abundance of extraordinary accomplishments and benchmark performances. Our district demonstrates just how well public education can be done. Our goals are clear and our children’s accomplishments are great. The continued stewardship of the district mission rests in the hands of local voters and taxpayers who support BPS schools. The...
More About: True , Then
Lansing and Pensions: Waking Up To Reality
2007-09-21 21:16:00
An editorial today in the Detroit Free Press by State Representative Lorence Wenke talks about the "Surpise?" that the state pension funds (PSERS and SERS) are in the hole to the tune of $20 - $40 BILLION dollars. What rock have these people been hiding under? I'm just a reasonable person who got elected to a local school board; about 3 months after my election in 2003 the state teachers pension time bomb was obvious to me. I've been harping on the issue for some time and by my research shows that PSERS (Michigan's teacher pension fund) is underwater by a total $24 billion (that's counting the retirement AND health care benefits). That pension deficit has cost local school budgets nearly $1 billion a year because the state has pushed that funding problem onto the backs of Michigan's children. How? By consistently increasing the mandated school district contribution to PSERS without increasing the per-student funding to cover the cost. It's a classic shell game.Now the legisl...
More About: Reality , Lansing , Ality
The Public Employee Pension Mess
2007-08-05 20:06:00
I've been watching this drama unfold over the last 5 years. I've posted about the issue in this blog and I've seen countless stories about it in many national publications. Now the New York Times has published a very good story by Mary Williams Walsh on how bad the problem is - and it's much worse than many have thought.Follow this link to a short commentary from Andrew Samwick, a Dartmouth professor who has written on pension problems and social security. A short comment from Mary Williams Walsh:It is hard to know the extent of the problems, because there is no central regulator to gather data on public plans. Nor is the accounting for government pension plans uniform, so comparing one with another can be unreliable.But by one estimate, state and local governments owe their current and future retirees roughly $375 billion more than they have committed to their pension funds.And that may well understate the gap: Barclays Global Investments has calculated that if America’s st...
More About: Public , Pension , Employee , Mess
Leadership in Birmingham Public Schools
2007-06-20 16:11:00
When seeking input as to what qualities were valued in a new leader for the Birmingham public schools one person suggested that the person should be able to walk on water and squeeze blood from a turnip. As impressive as those skills would be, others suggested the leader should be: collaborative, committed, a strong communicator, decisive, team-oriented, visible, community focused, innovative, and politically savvy. Much of the feedback has been shaped by what people have seen in Dr. John Hoeffler, who after 17 years as superintendent of the Birmingham School District is retiring. It is no coincidence that BPS is consistently one of the top performing districts in Michigan year after year – results like this don’t happen by accident – they happen because a committed and passionate team finds ways to keep improving on what works. Dr. Hoeffler has guided a team that sustains its passion and vision for the benefit of our students. He will be missed. So here are some thou...
More About: Schools , Public , Leadership , Ship , Ming
Birmingham Public Schools - Character Education Matters
2007-06-04 23:50:00
The Birmingham Public School District (BPS) has many over 8,200 reasons to be proud, and now there is another accomplishment to add to the list. Out of 110 schools recognized nationally, EIGHT Birmingham Schools have been granted the 2007 Promising Practices Award from the Character Education Partnership (CEP). The schools are: Berkshire, Beverly, Bingham Farms, Derby, Greenfield, Pembroke, and West Maple. This recognition is remarkable, and is enhanced by the addition of Birmingham Covington School’s recognition as a National School of Character winner – one of only ten such winners in the nation. This award carries a $20,000 grant which will be awarded at CEP’s 14th National Forum on Character Education. The theme for the event is “Investing in America’s Future.” Character education is part of the BPS strategic plan and every school in the district has embraced the plan goals. We can all be proud of the recognition while celebrating the dedication of our staff, teac...
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Why Real Reform Never Happens
2007-05-30 06:23:00
Seems as if politicians everywhere are running away from responsibility; they just hand problems to their kids. As highlighted by Andrew Samwick from the pages of the Wall Street Journal: Pension Crash LandingMay 29, 2007; Page A14When Congress passed a broad pension reform last year prodding companies to get their retirement programs in order, it seemed too good to be true. Now we know it was.That's the lesson of an amazing bit of corporate welfare the Senate tucked into the Iraq war supplemental last week. Last year's bill included a hard-fought political compromise: Carriers that agreed to a "hard freeze" of their pension plans would be allowed to use a higher interest rate in calculating their plans -- which would reduce their net liabilities. The idea was to discourage airlines from buying union peace by running up their pension tabs, which they might later dump on taxpayers. A few airlines, such as Northwest and Delta, took this medicine.Their competitors, namely American a...
More About: Reform , Real
Why Michigan Schools Are In Financial Trouble
2007-05-23 23:56:00
Michigan’s budget is in a full meltdown. Just a few days ago the reported budget for the current year ballooned to $800 million, that’s $200 million more than prior worst case estimates. The picture is focused on the poor revenue generation via tax collections and is exacerbated by a general malaise in the auto business. The impact on schools is being played out through a proposal to cut funding (the political phrase is “proration”) to the tune of $122 per student (and that number may grow to $210 per student with the addition of $200 million to the current deficit). What does not get proper attention is why schools can’t stay ahead of cuts even as they announce record cuts in local school budgets. The reason is clear – it’s all about the healthcare and pension costs. Take a look at Birmingham’s numbers: Change In Healthcare Cost Change in Pension Cost Total HC & Pension Change Enrollment HC/Pension C...
More About: Schools , Financial , Michigan , Mich , Finan
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