Battle for school equity continues

By Lindsay VanHulle
lvanhulle@record-eagle.com

November 10, 2007 04:00 am

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TRAVERSE CITY -- The message is clear: Not all students are equal when it comes to state funding.

But members of a local advocacy group say recent efforts by the state Legislature to narrow the gap are encouraging as they continue their push for equity.

Citizens for Equity, a Traverse City-based group of educators, community members and financial professionals, began calling for reform to the state's per-student funding system in May 2006.

The problem, they maintain, is a disparity in the amount of money given to school districts across Michigan.

Lawmakers in late October approved a 1 percent increase in per-student funding in the state's 2008 fiscal budget, which brings the base allowance to $7,204. That's up from $7,108 last year.

Included in the rate is an increase of $96, with a $48 equity payment, for the state's lowest-funded districts, including Traverse City Area Public Schools. Wealthier districts would receive a total increase between $48 and $96 in an attempt to bring the bottom districts up.

"It should be a very positive step forward, provided they continue to use that kind of formula," said Dan Rice, president of the Traverse City Education Association and Citizens for Equity member.

TCAPS budgeted $7,208 from the state this year, which puts the district "probably a lot closer than most" in its planning, chief financial officer Paul Soma said.

And although the additional money this year is appreciated, particularly as Michigan faces an economic crisis, it's still not equity, Soma said.

"The equity looks more like lip service," he said. "It simply is not fair to fund children at different rates."

The funding system for K-12 schools was set in 1994 by Proposal A, which aimed to lessen the reliance on property taxes for generating school dollars and to address the equity gap.

But thus far, the latter hasn't been achieved, said state Rep. Howard Walker, R-Traverse City, partly because the higher-funded districts can claim more money from local millages and a provision in the state School Aid Act.

About two years ago, Walker said, he introduced legislation that would get rid of those additional funding sources. It didn't go far but, he said, it opened some eyes.

Walker since has worked with Citizens for Equity, and said the increase in equity payments this year is an indication that things are beginning to change.

"We need to continue to press on this issue, or it's very possible it could get forgotten," Walker said. "The battle is not over."