This summer, the Mackinac Center conducted its annual school privatization survey, finding that more than 70 percent of school districts in Michigan contract out for services such as food, transportation, and custodial work.

The findings have been publicized across the state. Michigan Radio wrote the following:

James Hohman of the Center says privatizing helps districts trim their payroll. Districts must pay about 25% of payroll into the state's severely underfunded pension plan.…

He says the state needs to stop overestimating the plans' returns — or move teachers into defined contribution plans like 401(k)s, "and until they do, it's just going to encourage more districts to contract out their support services."

The rest of the article is available on Michigan Radio's website.

Results from the annual school privatization survey were also featured on WMMT and WHTC.

On Sept. 15, the Columbus Dispatch ran an op-ed that focused on the results as they apply to districts in Ohio.

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