Sen. Pappageorge urges House to override 20j school cuts
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
LANSING — State Sen. John Pappageorge, R-Troy, took steps Wednesday to override the governor’s misguided veto of nearly $52 million in 20j funding that will affect 12 school districts in Oakland County and another 28 across Michigan.
Senate Resolution 88, sponsored by Pappageorge, urges the House of Representatives to override the governor’s line item veto of the 20j funding. As the School Aid budget is a House-originated bill this cycle, any override attempt must start in that chamber.
“If ever an override was the right thing to do, it’s on the governor’s veto of 20j funding in the K-12 budget and that is why I sponsored this resolution,” Pappageorge said. “The Senate and House need to join forces and send a clear message to the governor that she cannot unfairly single out these school districts with her veto pen.”
Section 20j allows hold-harmless districts to receive the same dollar increase as other school districts. Eliminating these funds will have a disastrous effect on school districts across the state that depend on these monies.
“Schools in Oakland County will suffer greatly due to the governor’s line item veto of this critical funding,” Pappageorge said. “Several districts will lose millions of dollars in state funding. These districts were counting on that money to educate Michigan’s children.”
In the bipartisan School Aid budget passed by both chambers and sent to the governor, every school district was slated to receive a $165 per pupil reduction in funding.
The six schools districts affected in the 13th District are listed below with their per pupil reductions that incorporate the governor’s veto cuts to 20j funding.
- Avondale School District – $469 per pupil
- Birmingham Public Schools – $287 per pupil
- Bloomfield Hills School District – $284 per pupil
- Lamphere Schools (Madison Heights) – $342 per pupil
- School District of the city of Royal Oak – $426 per pupil
- Troy School District – $413 per pupil
“After seven years as governor it’s distressing that Governor Granholm still doesn’t understand Proposal A,” Pappageorge said. “Many schools in the 13th Senate District will suffer because of this veto. This is outrageous. This veto is not defensible in any way.”
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