Michigan Federation of Teachers & School Related Personnel
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Michigan Federation of Teachers & School Related Personnel
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Capitol Report Archives Go to current Capitol Report for links to complete archive. 2002 June May April March February January 2001 2000 |
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Budget Package Agreement Reached K-12 FOUNDATION ALLOWANCES Inkster Report Recommends Financial Manager Special Education Advisory Committee Membership Increased by Five Merit Award Scholarship Act Time-Limit Reduced Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act may be found on the Legislative Hotline page of this website.  Return to Top Budget Package Agreement Reached The struggle to solve the $700 million state budget shortfall over the next two years came to a successful end as the Senate, House, and Governor came to an agreement on a multi-bill package which increases Michigan's cigarette tax and effectively assures a delay in the rollback in the single business tax rate. All bills in this package await the Governor's signature. Listed below are the three major component of the package:
Return to Top K-12 FOUNDATION ALLOWANCES
*Includes equity payment adjusted in per-pupil foundation to bring them up to the $6,500 minimum. bk:opeiu42aflcio- July 11, 2002 Return to Top Inkster Report Recommends Financial Manager The five-member Inkster Financial Review Team, named on June 13 by Governor John Engler at the request of state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Watkins, has determined that the Inkster School District "is experiencing a serious financial emergency." They recommend that Governor Engler appoint an emergency financial manager for the school district. The Inkster School Board has requested a hearing to contest Mr. Watkins' determination. It was scheduled for July 18, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., in Room 426 of the State Capitol Building in Lansing, Michigan. An analysis of the district's revenues and expenditures shows that Inkster schools has a negative fund balance by more than $1 million. According to the report, Inkster owed Edison schools nearly $1.7 million through April 30, 2002. The school district also has major internal financial control weakness, including the fact the district has not conducted a bank reconciliation for the past six months. Return to Top Special Education Advisory Committee Membership Increased by Five House Bill 4990 (Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland) amends Public Act 287 of 1964, to increase the size of the Special Education Advisory Committee by five members, from 27 to 33 appointees, ensuring compliance with Federal law. This bill has been approved by the State Legislature and is awaiting the Governor's Signature. The Special Education Advisory Committee is required under the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and functions as an advisor to the State Board of Education in the field of special education. The Committee's 27 members are appointed by the Board for three-year terms; each member represents a larger interest group who has a stake in the teaching and learning of special education students. When IDEA was amended in 1997, a new provision required 51% of state special education advisory committee members to be made up of people with disabilities, or their parents. Further, the committees were required to add members who represent charter schools and organizations that provide transition services. Return to Top Merit Award Scholarship Act Time-Limit Reduced Senate Bill 926 (Schwarz, R-Battle Creek) restricts student eligibility for scholarships to within four years of graduating from high school or passing the general educational development (GED) test. Currently a student has seven years after graduating or passing the GED to apply for the scholarship. The bill allows a student who became a member of the United States armed forces or the Peace Corps during this four-year period to extend his or her eligibility by a period equal to the number of days served, not to exceed four years. Also, the Merit Award Board could extend the four-year period due to an illness or disability of the student or in the student's immediate family, or another family emergency. In addition, the bill adds a requirement for eligible students to certify their participation in the scholarship program by September 30 in the academic year in which they would use the scholarship funds. If a student did not certify by September 30, he or she could not receive a scholarship until the following academic year. This bill expands the reporting requirements of information to the Governor and the Legislature to include the number of graduating high school seniors who met the requirements for a Michigan Merit Award Scholarship. This change in usage time-limit from seven years four years saves an estimated $12.3 million in Fiscal Year 2002. Senate Bill 926 has passed both houses of the state Legislature and has been ordered enrolled. It now awaits the Governor's Signature to become law. Return to Top Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act House Bill 1275 (Hammerstrom, R-Temperance) would amend the Sex Offenders Registration Act to require certain sexual offenders who are employed by or students at institutions of higher education to report their sexual offense status to the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the campus. The bill would take effect October 1, 2002. It would define institution of higher education to mean either a public or private community college, college, or university; or a public or private trade, vocational or occupational school. The provisions in this bill are necessary to ensure compliance with federal law and to maintain federal formula grant funding. House Bill 1275 has passed the House and Senate and has been ordered enrolled. It now awaits the Governor's signature. bk:opeiu42aflcio |
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