4 (school) districts unify for bond vote (No New Property Taxes in Livingston County)

4 districts unify for bond vote
All but Fowlerville to give support Jan. 24
Friday, January 14, 2005

A resolution supporting a countywide enhancement millage is expected to be adopted Jan. 24 by four Livingston County school districts.

Officials and board members in Brighton, Hartland, Howell and Pinckney hope this show of solidarity for the 3-mill levy demonstrates just how important the millage is to their schools' survival, said Pinckney Superintendent Mike Couchman.

"We agreed we all need to do this together," Couchman said. "This spirit of solidarity is very encouraging."

The resolution supports a May 3 ballot issue asking voters to approve a 3-mill tax increase for three years, from 2005-07.

Fowlerville is the only Livingston district where trustees will not vote on the resolution.
Superintendent Ed Alverson said the district has decided to not to bring the resolution for a vote after voters approved last June a $49 million bond issue for school construction and renovation. An affirmative vote by districts representing a majority of the students in the county would put the issue before voters.

The levy is being viewed a a stopgap measure to give the state Legislature time to revamp the way schools are funded. It is estimated the levy would generate an additional $19.8 million in 2005 to be distributed to the five districts on a per-pupil basis.

During Monday's school board meeting in Brighton, Superintendent Dave Pruneau said that without the additional levy, "the school district is at risk."

"The board needs to consider a resolution to put the millage on the ballot in May. Without it, even with the best case scenario, we will be dismantling this district," Pruneau said.

A loss in enrollment combined with the rapidly rising cost of retirement and health care benefits means that expenditures are and will continue to exceed revenues at Brighton, said Jim Craig, assistant superintendent for finances.

Brighton Trustee Miles Vieau, however, called the 3-mill levy "just a short fix. We're going to have to make big cuts in the fourth year." Board treasurer William E. Anderson added: "At the end of three years when this millage disappears, we are back at the same point we are now."

Board President Cindy Cvengros was supportive. "We have to give these students the best chance we can," she said. "They will never make up what they lose in a school year."

Pinckney board members have discussed the issue at three meetings, including last week. Along with those at Hartland, they have taken to calling it a "survival millage" instead of an "enhancement millage."

"This may be a last-ditch effort to keep us from closing our doors," said Marcia Jablonski, Pinckney Board of Education president. "We just want to be able to pay for normal things and we haven't been able to do that."

This year, Pinckney had to cut $2.4 million from its budget. With state funding there expected to remain at $6,700 per student for another year, it looks like that much will have to be cut again, Jablonski said.

"We have just begun the heartbreaking task of looking at cuts for next year," Couchman said. "We've cut so much that any cuts now will come from the core of our services and programs for kids."

Districts blame their budget shortfalls on the state's inability to live up to its obligation to adequately fund education, said Anne Colone, Pinckney board secretary.

"I, for one, have been concerned about pursuing an enhancement millage because it's like taking over the job our legislative body is supposed to be doing, which is funding our students," Colone said. "We're supposed to educate them. The state is supposed to fund it."

But with no fix on the near horizon, Colone and Trustee Laura Heatwole agreed the millage is necessary.

"I think there is beginning to be some understanding at the state level that there is a problem," Heatwole said.

If this passes, we'll be in worse shape in 4 years since we'll be right back where we started. The problem is overspending - and it compounds.

These school districts have only one answer for every problem: we need more money. District expenditures climb every year, Districts build huge new shools they can't afford to run and they oppose every attempt to innovate the delivery of educational services.

Salaries at all levels in these districts are some of the highest in the US. Superintendents in these districts make 150-200K or more. All of the highest paid govenment employees in the county are School administrators.

These schools need to learn how to do more with less just like the auto companies where many of their taxpayers work have done.

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