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LANSING, Mich. — Michigan public schools will receive one-time funding of $111 to $222 per pupil in federal “Edujobs” funding this year, as well as smaller amounts of additional funding from the state, according to various media reports.
In all, the varied funding is intended to offset an earlier $154 per-pupil reduction, and will give districts a net increase ranging from $6 to $74 per student, media reported.
In the same legislation, lawmakers agreed to set aside $25 million, partly by reducing per-pupil funding, to pay districts for data collection in the wake of a Michigan Supreme Court decision that called such collections a mandate that must be paid for by the state, according to The Macomb Daily.
Some school officials criticized legislators’ decision, calling the data useless and saying the state should eliminate the reporting requirements and instead give that money to schools, The Daily reported. The data is collected for the Center for Educational Performance and Information.
State Sen. Mickey Switalski, D-Roseville, an outgoing member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the data is needed to comply with federal requirements, The Daily reported.
SOURCES:
Lansing State Journal, “Michigan schools in line for additional
federal cash,” Dec. 2, 2010
The Macomb Daily, “Educators: Funds spent on reporting could be poured into classrooms,” Dec. 2, 2010
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, “Common school funding
myths,” Sept. 7, 2010
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