K-16 Coalition

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K-16 Coalition; Looks like a vote.
Tweet Topic Started: Feb 22 2006, 03:42 PM (2,864 Views)
Roosevelt Dad	Feb 24 2006, 05:30 PM Post #16
5th Grade Posts: 28 Group: Members Member #313 Joined: February 19, 2006	Until all districts operate in a similar manner, there is no way I could possibly support throwing more money out there as a solution. We've all compared Livonia to Plymouth Canton. They have more students and run their school sytem with 600 less employees than Livonia. Livonia has operated with a budget surplus, each of the last 3 years now. Our fund equity acct is growing. Two differant approaches and both of them work. Each community needs to maintain as much control over their resources as possible. If the money comes our way, great. But, beware of what you wish for. What ties will there be to the funds. I don't plan on legislating that goverment hand out more money. It allows government the opportunity to control how it is spent. Until we get a better accounting of the Lottery profits which are to fund the schools, I quite frankly don't trust the funds to not become a political volleyball.



Administrator	Feb 24 2006, 05:36 PM Post #17
Administrator Posts: 3,069 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: October 5, 2005	How do you feel GR1, Anothermom etc.,...........Maybe this is something we can all discuss thats off the LI path. Maybe we all might even AGREE?? Someone convince me one way or the other on this.



Administrator	Feb 25 2006, 12:25 PM Post #18
Administrator Posts: 3,069 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: October 5, 2005	No comment??



Elisa	Feb 25 2006, 01:37 PM Post #19
Principal Posts: 607 Group: Members Member #64 Joined: October 31, 2005	Grant Feb 22 2006, 04:01 PM It will be interesting to see how it plays out... How will eveyone feel if this results in a law by the legislature to change proposal A so that property taxes and/or the sales tax rate are increased every year to meet the funding requirement created by this new proposal? I personally do not think that Prop. A will ever be reversed and I am not so sure that its reversal would put schools in any better position financially. I just came back from the Chicago area, where district schools are funded with that communities local property tax. I have seen what happens when communities do not pass referenda. There are only so many tax increases people can manage. As a result, most communities there have sky-high taxes. One district is hoping to pass a referndum to build a new high school. If it doesn't pass the alternatives are year round school or school in split shifts. The alternatives seem so awful that you would think the referendum will pass but when members of that community are already paying $10,000 per year and upwards in taxes, it isn't a sure bet by any means. Basing a school systems stability on the feelings and financial status of the community at any given time is risky business to me. Prop. A hasn't left MI schools in poverty. Although, it has become a convenient scapegoat for administrators. A place to shift the blame while they conduct business as usual. MI is still among the highest in per pupil funding across the country. It begs the question, how much is enough? Especially when higher funding doesn't tranlate into higher achievement. Case in point, Washington D.C. spends almost $17,000 per pupil and has among the lowest achievement scores in the country. It isn't completely about the money. It is about the choices made in terms of managing and spending that money.



livoniamom	Feb 27 2006, 08:32 AM Post #20
Principal Posts: 322 Group: Members Member #126 Joined: November 15, 2005	In a way, you could say Proposal A is part of the reason for declining enrollment in Livonia. Seniors who have been in their homes for 25-40 years are enjoying some pretty low property taxes -- why would they move and pay 3 or 4 times the amount of property taxes for the same size dwelling? Don't get me wrong, I think without Prop A half of us could not afford our homes. City governments are very money hungry and their is never enough revenue for them. Plus, like our school district, they are dealing with huge health care and pension costs for their employees. LPS is going to have deal with the pot they've been given and make the best of it. That means making hard choices and cutting costs first.



Administrator	Feb 27 2006, 09:55 AM Post #21
Administrator Posts: 3,069 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: October 5, 2005	I really want to know what LI supporters think of this. Why does this subject seem to be taboo?



fyi	Feb 27 2006, 01:21 PM Post #22
Principal Posts: 2,738 Group: Members Member #206 Joined: December 9, 2005	livoniamom Feb 27 2006, 08:32 AM LPS is going to have deal with the pot they've been given and make the best of it. That means making hard choices and cutting costs first. Or......they could preserve the status quo and implement the LI?



ForMySons	Feb 27 2006, 01:55 PM Post #23
Principal Posts: 205 Group: Members Member #205 Joined: December 8, 2005	livoniamom Feb 27 2006, 08:32 AM In a way, you could say Proposal A is part of the reason for declining enrollment in Livonia. Seniors who have been in their homes for 25-40 years are enjoying some pretty low property taxes -- why would they move and pay 3 or 4 times the amount of property taxes for the same size dwelling? Don't get me wrong, I think without Prop A half of us could not afford our homes. City governments are very money hungry and their is never enough revenue for them. Plus, like our school district, they are dealing with huge health care and pension costs for their employees. LPS is going to have deal with the pot they've been given and make the best of it. That means making hard choices and cutting costs first. If I remember correctly, Proposal A was supposed to fix several social problems. When proposal A was first discussed, there were problems that seniors and others with fixed incomes were being forced out of their homes in areas that were becoming affluent. It was also supposed to begin equalizing education spending per student whether you lived in Detroit or whether you lived in Farmington Hills. I agree that it is part of the reason why there is not a lot of home turnover in Livonia.



fyi	Feb 27 2006, 02:01 PM Post #24
Principal Posts: 2,738 Group: Members Member #206 Joined: December 9, 2005	I agree. You get punished for moving. There are benefits to staying put. I don't think people will vote for yearly increases in taxes, as it would defeat the purpose of Proposal A. Schools need to manage the funds that they have been given more efficiently.



Grant1	Feb 27 2006, 02:35 PM Post #25
We have just begun to fight! Posts: 3,167 Group: Members Member #117 Joined: November 14, 2005	fyi Feb 27 2006, 02:01 PM I agree. You get punished for moving. There are benefits to staying put. I don't think people will vote for yearly increases in taxes, as it would defeat the purpose of Proposal A. Schools need to manage the funds that they have been given more efficiently. Leveling district funding and making school districts more accountable for thier financial management was a big part of Proposal A - The selling point was the reduction in Homeowner taxes.



NFarquharson	Feb 27 2006, 02:41 PM Post #26
Principal Posts: 4,311 Group: Members Member #103 Joined: November 9, 2005	Grant1 Feb 27 2006, 02:35 PM fyi Feb 27 2006, 02:01 PM I agree. You get punished for moving. There are benefits to staying put. I don't think people will vote for yearly increases in taxes, as it would defeat the purpose of Proposal A. Schools need to manage the funds that they have been given more efficiently. Leveling district funding and making school districts more accountable for thier financial management was a big part of Proposal A - The selling point was the reduction in Homeowner taxes. That's right. Unfortunately, if you did the math back then, the increase in sales tax from Prop A hit the lower and fixed-income seniors harder than the property taxes. The lower your income is the more of that income is spent on taxable purchases that you need to live (rather than investments that would not be subject to sales tax.) Prop A was best for higher income people and it remains that way today.



fyi	Feb 27 2006, 02:50 PM Post #27
Principal Posts: 2,738 Group: Members Member #206 Joined: December 9, 2005	Grant1 Feb 27 2006, 02:35 PM Leveling district funding and making school districts more accountable for thier financial management was a big part of Proposal A. I believe that this is a "side effect" of Proposal A---one that school districts are trying to ignore. <_<



fyi	Feb 27 2006, 08:38 PM Post #28
Principal Posts: 2,738 Group: Members Member #206 Joined: December 9, 2005	In simple terms, if you gave someone money that was intended for a specific purpose, and they spent the money irresponsibly, would you want to give them more?



Grant1	Feb 27 2006, 09:18 PM Post #29
We have just begun to fight! Posts: 3,167 Group: Members Member #117 Joined: November 14, 2005	fyi Feb 27 2006, 08:38 PM In simple terms, if you gave someone money that was intended for a specific purpose, and they spent the money irresponsibly, would you want to give them more? ummmm...that depends...Am I an uniformed voter or am I a responsible citizen? Democracy works when people make it work. Politicians and Administrations count on those who do not exercise thier democratic rights in accordance with the principals that this country was founded on.



Livonia Voter	Feb 28 2006, 06:41 AM Post #30
Principal Posts: 1,256 Group: Members Member #165 Joined: November 29, 2005	Why is it that the only solution (according to the board) is more money? Sigh....... Why is it so many are so eager to give to them, rather than demand they prove the are responcibly using what they already have?


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