Published: March 28, 2008 12:00 am      

TCAPS welcomes equity bill's passage

TRAVERSE CITY -- The state Senate approved a school aid funding plan that would allow some of the lowest-funded school districts to gain additional equity payments.

The proposal approved Wednesday by the full chamber is an alternative to Gov. Jennifer Granholm's fiscal 2009 budget, and would increase all districts' per-student allowance by $71 next year.

Low-funded districts, including Traverse City Area Public Schools, would receive an extra $71 in equity in an attempt to close the funding gap.

Amendments to the formula were dismissed.

"We received word that the northern senators were very strong in working on their colleagues to really defeat any attempt to modify that," Superintendent James Feil said. "They were able to obviously convince people that this was the right thing to do."