Tweaking Gov's at-risk school fund
A file photo of an empty classroom
(WJBK) - Gov. Rick Sndyer's proposal to create a funding source for at-risk high school students has been embraced, in concept, by the respective chairs of the house and senate K-12 budget subcommittees, but Rep. Tim Kelly and Sen. Geoff Hanson have commenced talks on "refining" the governor's original plan to make it more "equitable."
Mr. Snyder's proposal would make all schools eligible for the extra $773 per students, but the two chairs want to dive into that to make sure schools that have more money will have a chance to share in part of that increase, but not necessarily at the same rate as less fortunate districts.
"We want to look at how it is structured," reports Sen. Hanson, "and bring all at risk students into the discussion."
Rep. Kelly agrees adding, "46 percent of all students are at risk," defined by how many partake in the free or partially subsidized school lunch program and those students are in every district rich or poor he explains.
Sen. Hanson tells MIRS, "We don't want to have our highest funded schools getting a $773 increase for each of their at risk students, while the rest of our districts get only a $100 increase. We need to look deeper at it," and he's talked with the governor's office about the distribution issue so that not everyone is treated the same.