Royal Oak Schools Hit With Major Reductions in State Funding:

December 4, 2009

Dear Royal Oak Schools Parents, Staff & Community:

The School District of the City of Royal suffered three major reductions in state revenue in the month of October 2009:

• October 8 -   $165 per pupil from legislative budget approval ($891,000)
• October 19 - $261 per pupil by Governor's 20j veto ($1,400,000)
• October 22 - $127 per student - Governor's Executive Order ($685,800)

In total, our school system is expected to absorb nearly $3 million dollars of reduction in anticipated state revenue ($553 per pupil) within our current operations even though we are now five months into our fiscal year.

What does this mean?

To put this in perspective, the $3 million we are told we will not receive this year is the equivalent of:

• The combined annual cost of our Instrumental Music, Vocal Music, Art Education, High School Advanced Placement classes and Middle School Foreign Language classes

• The yearly expense for all Principals and Assistant Principals in our K-12 buildings plus all of the Counselors in the Royal Oak school system

• The combined annual cost of all Academic Support Teachers, all Social Workers and all School Psychologists 
   
• The employment (salary, health insurance, retirement, FICA) of approximately 30 teachers (in considering teachers of least experience, the equivalent would approximate 40 teachers)

Royal Oak families send more tax money to Lansing every year than our School District receives back. That means that a portion of your tax dollars is providing resources to other districts in the state. The recent line item veto by our governor that removed $1.4 million from our revenue budget was represented in the media as only affecting "wealthy School Districts."  As you well know, we are by no means a wealthy School District.  However, we are a "high achieving" school district.  Royal Oak is a predominately middle class community whose current unemployment rate mirrors that of many other economically distressed communities in our state.

Governor Granholm indicates the cuts will remain in effect unless the Michigan legislature agrees to new funding sources.  By the accounts of editors and columnists in the news media, Michigan school districts are caught in a political dispute in Lansing.  It needs to stop.  A student's education should not be held hostage by lawmakers.  Both of our local legislators, Representative Marie Donigan (D) and Senator John Pappageorge (R) have been very supportive of a return of 20j funds.  However, they are at odds in the highly partisan political dispute regarding ongoing and future school funding. 

I encourage you to contact the decision makers in Lansing to express your opinions about our major reductions and the impact they will have on the School District of the City of Royal Oak. Our governmental heads need to hear that under-funding education is not acceptable to their constituents. Our children are our future.  Nothing will chase people out of Michigan faster than low quality schools.

Your voice is important as we address this crisis.  Please use the email links below to contact Governor Granholm, Senate Majority Leader Bishop, Speaker of the House Dillon, Representative Donigan and Senator Pappageorge:

Governor Granholm:

    http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-21995---,00.html
                    (then scroll down to "Share Your Opinion")

Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop:

     http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/senators/contact.asp?District=12 
           (then scroll down to "Click here to send an email message")

House Speaker Andy Dillon: 

http://017.housedems.com/contact/

For an easy to use message system to contact your local Representative(s) or Senator(s), go to:

http://capwiz.com/gomasa/callalert/index.tt?alertid=14223886

Attachments can be found at the bottom of this communication that provide additional contact information for the Governor and important legislators as well as key points to make in your message.

Thank you for your support of our children and the School District of the City of Royal Oak.  I will do my best to keep you informed of future developments.

Sincerely,

Dr. Thomas L. Moline
Superintendent