05/10/2006

Editorial

Future of smaller districts depends on equitable aid

The short-term fix worked out between the Suttons Bay and Traverse City school districts under which a Traverse City administrator will serve as Suttons Bay's interim superintendent is just that — a short-term solution.

But it underscores two issues northern Michigan is going to face for years to come — the future of smaller districts (including their ability to offer advanced programs and technology on a par with bigger schools); and the continued financial inequality between well-heeled downstate districts and the rest of the state.

When former Suttons Bay superintendent Tom Harwood left for another job in April, the district had only enough money to hire a half-time replacement; Harwood had been splitting his time between Suttons Bay and Glen Lake over the past year.

After talks with Traverse City, Suttons Bay hired Traverse City Area Public Schools athletic director Jim Leyndyke to fill in through August with the expectation he will sign a contract for the 2006-2007 school year. Traverse City will bill Suttons Bay for the time Leyndyke works for them.

It was the right thing for Traverse City to do, since it can find ways to fill in for Leyndyke's absences, and should fill Suttons Bay's short-term needs.

But in the longer term, every district in Leelanau County — Suttons Bay, Northport, Leland and Glen Lake — will have to look at such arrangements as a way to delay mergers and consolidations that sap local identity.

While district health care, retirement and energy costs have continued to soar, state aid has been stuck. State lawmakers recently talked about boosting the $6,850 per-pupil state stipend by $200 or $230, but that will fall woefully short of what districts have lost just to inflation.

In terms of fairness and equity, however, the indefensible state aid gap that exists between a handful of downstate districts and all other public school districts is just as bad.

Some of those districts (all are in wealthy communities) get as much as $12,000 per student from the state. That's inequity with a capital "I."

Closing that gap must be a top political priority for northern Michigan and, indeed, the rest of the state.

So far, Rep. Howard Walker (R-Traverse City) and Sen. Michelle McManus (R-Lake Leelanau) have been making the most noise.

But just as he did when the state's $75 million a year wine industry was under attack last year, state Sen. Jason Allen — who is openly seeking Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema's job come November — is essentially sitting this one out. That's not good enough.

The problems are real. The chances of getting solutions out of Lansing seem slight.