03/19/2006

Forum

Fuzzy math in school funding

By KRISTIE BACH

Would it shock you to learn that in 2005, when Traverse City Area Public Schools got nothing above the base per-pupil amount of $6,700, Grosse Pointe Public Schools (a district just a bit smaller than TCAPS) received more than $28 million over and above that base per pupil amount? Bloomfield Hills, a district with about 6,000 students, received over $31 million more; Birmingham and Farmington each received over $41 million more; and Southfield and Ann Arbor each received over $42 million more.

If these funding decisions were being made along racial, religious or gender lines they would be in violation of civil rights laws and would be actionable in our courts. The same principles should apply when funding decisions are being made along geographic lines.

"No Child Left Behind?" In Michigan, our children are being left behind in this sham they call an equitable funding system.

TCAPS is once again facing a major budget crisis. According to finance director Paul Soma, TCAPS will be facing approximately $2 million in budget cuts in the next year.

Where will it comes from? Already, athletic budgets have been cut; textbook budgets have been slashed; custodial personnel have been condensed to bare minimums; administrators have been eliminated; schools have been closed; library budgets and hours have been reduced; class sizes are up; heat has been turned down; cooling (in the few schools where it exists) has been turned up.

Fundraising has always been done for extracurriculars, now it has been implemented for curricular programs as well. Our system has been pared to the bones, people, and there is nowhere to cut anymore, especially in a time when the state is imposing new graduation requirements, college admissions are more competitive, and operating costs are skyrocketing.

Why should TCAPS have to cut more, especially when Oakland County alone gets more than $322 million over the base per pupil amount?

TCAPS administrators and Rep. Howard Walker, Traverse City, have been working to change this inequitable funding system but, so far, the politicians whose school districts benefit from this wacked-out arrangement are among the more powerful in our state government and are unwilling to budge.

This system has existed since 1994 without any significant pressure to change. It is not a Democrat vs. Republican situation -- the powerful southeast Michigan delegation includes representatives from both sides of the aisle.

This is a David vs. Goliath situation, a right vs. wrong issue, an ethical-and-fair vs. immoral and dishonest problem.

In light of the pending budget crisis for TCAPS, drastic action must be taken or services and programs for our students will again suffer while Bloomfield Hills students are able to choose "scuba diving" as a high school elective.

Don't just sit back -- take action. If you are interested in helping our children receive a fair and equitable education, as guaranteed by the state constitution, please contact Paul Soma at (231) 933-1734, and see how you can help bring financial equity to our schools.

About the author
Kristie Bach is a co-chair of the Equity in our Schools Committee, working to change the public school funding structure in Michigan. She has had two children go through the TCAPS school system. She is the theater teacher at West Senior High and has been a teacher in the district for 15 years.