announcements
MI Senate Voting on Money Shift to Charters
Oct 18, 2017
The Michigan Senate is expected to vote today on a bill that would require money from school enhancement millages to be given to charter and virtual schools located in the communities that approve the additional taxes.
Contact your state senator and representative to voice opposition now. And urge friends, family members, and neighbors to get involved. Many parents are opposed to this change in school funding rules, and those community voices are needed to fight back. Nine out of 10 Michigan school children attend traditional public schools.
Enhancement millages are regional tax levies approved by voters within a region and administered by intermediate school districts. Under SB 574, the money raised would have to be split with charter schools that exist in the region and virtual schools that are headquartered within its boundaries.
Six regions have enhancement millages through these ISD’s: Wayne-RESA, Kalamazoo, Kent, Midland, Monroe, and Muskegon. While the measure would not apply retroactively to those that have already passed such a millage, it would have a major impact on new millages and renewals. As an example, in Wayne County, a 10-year enhancement millage shared by 33 public school districts would have to be split with 100 charter schools, under the proposal.
