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LANSING, Mich. - The state Court of Appeals ruled that state officials have been shortchanging school districts by not compensating them for changes in reporting requirements, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The judges unanimously ruled that the governor and Legislature violated the Headlee amendment to the Michigan Constitution by requiring districts to report more performance information without additional funding. The reporting changes add between $50 million and $100 million to local districts' costs annually, according to a lawyer who represented taxpayers from 460 Michigan school districts in the case.
SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, "Court: Mich. Schools forced to bear
reporting costs," July 7, 2008
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Headlee Amendment: Serving Michigan for 25 years," Aug. 4, 2003
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