By Shannon K. Jones
Staff Reporter
Click photos for larger images & cutlines   |
ST. IGNACE - Funding, or a lack thereof, was the main concern expressed by educators addressing the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan Task Force on Thursday, Sept. 15.
The task force, headed by State Rep. Gary McDowell, D-Rudyard, focused its discussion on education and brought local superintendents and administrators to speak on why the needs of northern Michigan differ from those below the bridge.
Across the board, those in attendance spoke of the inequitable distribution of funds as a problem. As the funding formula currently sits, rural schools in the Upper Peninsula receive less funding for their districts, which are geographically larger than those downstate.
"Why is it that Bloomfield Hills receives $11,000 per pupil and we [St. Ignace] receive only $6,700 to do the same thing?" questioned St. Ignace Superintendent Mike Springsteen.
Upper Peninsula schools have been struggling with meeting the needs of both their staff and students in recent years as per pupil funding has remained the same and costs have continued to rise.
One by one, presenters to the panel addressed the rising costs of transporting students to school in addition to the lack of opportunities for students as the districts are so far apart.
"Distance is a big issue," said Pat Rowley, Whitefish Township Community Schools superintendent. "If we want to send our kids to programs elsewhere, we're looking at a minimum of 40 miles to Newberry or Brimley."
The group also suggested an additional "tweaking" of Proposal A, which placed the responsibility of school revenues into the hands of the state by way of taxes.
The hearing was the sixth held by the task force; others have taken place in regards to issues such as healthcare and tourism.
Suggestions by those in attendance was gathered and will be compiled for a report that McDowell and his panel will submit to the governor's office early next year. The purpose of the task force is to identify issues that pertain to northern Michigan.
"What's right for some parts of the state doesn't work for others; we're here to work on a solution to that problem," said McDowell.
