Mydata. Many Michigan schools are in financial turmoil. School districts around Michigan are facing money problems. Between losing students, having to contribute more to the teacher pension system and other growing costs, many districts are in a world of hurt. It’s essential that they approach their financial problem in a way that will safeguard students’ education. The sooner they start addressing these problems head on, the better chance they’ll have to avoid too much state interference.
There were 56 school systems in Michigan with deficit operating budgets at the end of fiscal year 2014. That figure is up from 52 at the end of the 2013 fiscal year. These schools include 23 in the metro area. Nine are expected to eliminate their deficits by the end of June. Nine others are expected to have some deficit reduction by then. Five schools, including Hazel Park, are expected to have their deficits worsen. Currently, Detroit Public Schools, Highland Park and Muskegon Heights have emergency managers.
Public Corruption: Inside the Kwame Kilpatrick Case. The case of former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who stole from citizens he vowed to serve. When Kwame Kilpatrick became mayor of Detroit in 2002, he promised to revitalize the city. Instead, he shamelessly used his position to steal from the citizens he had vowed to serve. “Criminal activity was a way of life for him, and he constantly used the power of his office to look for new opportunities to make money illegally,” said Special Agent Robert Beeckman, who investigated the mayor and his corrupt regime for eight years. Last month, a federal judge sentenced Kilpatrick to a 28-year prison term for his role in a wide-ranging racketeering conspiracy that included extortion, bribery, and fraud.
Kilpatrick and Ferguson established a “pay to play” system that made breaking the law standard operating procedure. “His crimes were not the result of a momentary lapse in judgment,” said a document prepared for the court by the U.S. Why was Kilpatrick so brazen about his crimes? 13 Detroit principals charged with bribery. In addition, a DPS vendor -- identified as Norman Shy, 74, owner of Allstate Sales -- was charged. He is accused of being at the center of the criminal activity.
Authorities say the scheme basically boiled down to this: Shy paid bribes and kickbacks to principals so they would allow their schools to be charged for supplies that were never delivered. Chairs. Teaching materials. Paper. But at the same time the school district cried poor, principals are accused of having lined their personal pockets. "To hear this is just another slap in the face," DPS parent John Wills told CNN affiliate WDIV.
Shy allegedly paid the principals a total of $900,000. The bribery is said to have started in 2002 and continued until January 2015. "The real victims in a case like this, of course, are the students and the families who attend Detroit Public Schools -- the teachers, the educators who really want to make a difference in the lives of Detroit Public School children," said U.S. 'Easy to get caught' How corruption deepened Detroit's crisis. DETROIT -- Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was a spender, a schemer and a liar. And taxpayers paid for it, by the millions. Over seven years, Kilpatrick's public corruption schemes, lavish lifestyle and ethical missteps cost taxpayers at least $20 million, a tab the financially strapped city was in no position to pick up but did anyway — usually without knowing.
On Thursday, Kilpatrick will be sentenced for 24 corruption convictions. As he heads to federal prison for what could be decades, one important question lingers: How much did his extortion, kickback and bribery rackets contribute to the city's financial crisis and its filing in July for the largest municipal bankruptcy in the nation's history? "Kilpatrick is not the main culprit of the city's historic bankruptcy, which is the result of larger social and economic forces at work for decade," federal prosecutors said in court documents.
In purely monetary figures, the cost of Kilpatrick's ring of corruption is staggering: Feds suspect corruption at cash-strapped Detroit Public Schools. DETROIT, MI -- As Lansing considers giving debt-burdened Detroit Public Schools more than $700 million, U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade will discuss possible fraud within the District. McQuade, "along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, will discuss the filing of charges involving several current and former Detroit Public School principals, an administrator and vendor," the U.S. Attorney's office said in a statement Tuesday morning. The announcement is expected at 1 p.m. Thirteen principals -- past and present -- were indicted and accused of receiving kickbacks in exchange for awarding purchase contracts to a company named Allstate Sales, based on federal court records. "The alleged actions of former and current principals in Detroit Public Schools are unacceptable," Sen.
"I'll be working with my colleagues in the House to strengthen the DPS legislation passed by the Senate in light of this development. (Update: Governor signs $48.7 million package.) Education Funding: Where do Schools Get Their Money? How do They Spend it? | Random Samplings. Written by: Lisa Blumerman Our children represent our future — and a good education is essential to theirs.
Children use the skills and knowledge they learn in school to establish a firm foundation for their — and in turn all of ours — future. Statistics released today by the Census Bureau provide a detailed look at how public elementary-secondary school systems are funded and how they provide the education and services for our nation’s children. These data, released annually, provide information on revenues, spending, debt, and assets of our public school systems.
Total spending by public elementary-secondary school systems in fiscal year 2010 was $602.6 billion, a 0.4 percent decrease from 2009. Revenues for our nation’s public elementary-secondary school systems come primarily from local government sources of revenue (when combined) for a total of $261.4 billion in fiscal year 2010. Detroit schools expected to run out of money to pay teachers by April 8. Students at Detroit Public SchoolsMLive File Photo Detroit Public Schools is expected to run out of money to pay teachers by April 8 if the state does not soon pump an additional $50 million into the debt-plagued district, DPS' new manager told state lawmakers Wednesday. "This is an urgent matter for us," said retired bankruptcy judge Steven Rhodes, who last week was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to lead DPS, the state's largest school district.
"We need you to help keep the schools open past April 8. " Rhodes made the remarks to the House Appropriations Committee, which is considering a $715 million rescue package for DPS. The $715 million package would pay off the district's long-term debt, estimated at $515 million, and use the remaining $200 million to create a new, debt-free Detroit Community School district. "There is no plan B," Rhodes said later, when asked by reporters whether other options exist to keep DPS afloat. Panelists discuss impact of perceptions on Detroit Public Schools | The Michigan Daily. The Social Work and Education Collaboration, a new student organization based out of the School of Social Work and the School of Education at the University of Michigan, held a panel event Tuesday featuring educators from the Detroit Public Schools system.
During the event, panelists discussed what they considered misconceptions about Detroit Public Schools, such as deteriorating infrastructure, and emphasized how the controversy surrounding DPS impacts students and the school environment. Kaili McGrath, a Social Work graduate student and one of the coordinators of the event, said she found members of SWEC wanted to learn more about DPS. SWEC focuses on bridging service gaps in education and bridging interdisciplinary professional learning communities, according to their website.
“When we first started our organization, we asked if there was one thing you would want to learn more about what would it be, and the answer was Detroit Public Schools,” she said. Budget and Salary/Compensation Transparency Reporting - Detroit Public Schools. Fiscal Year 2014–2015 Budget Projection Fiscal Year 2014–2015 Budget Projection Fiscal Year 2014 – 2015 Board Approved Budget Fiscal Year 2014 – 2015 Adopted / Proposed Amendments Fiscal Year 2013 – 2014 Fiscal Year 2012 – 2013 Fiscal Year 2011 – 2012 Fiscal Year 2010 – 2011 FY 2010–2011 Approved Budget Fiscal Year 2009 – 2010 FY 2009–2010 Approved Budget Personnel Expenditures Current Operating Expenditures Current Bargaining Agreements Employer Sponsored Health Care Plans Audited Financial Statements Current Audited Financial Statements Previous Audited Financial Statements Medical Benefit Plan Bids 2015 Medical Benefits Plan Bids Employee Compensation Information This report lists the total salary and a description and cost of each and every fringe benefit included in the compensation package for the superintendent of the district or intermediate district and for each employee of the district or intermediate district whose salary exceeds $100,000.
District Paid Association Dues District Paid Lobbying Costs. Many Michigan schools are in financial turmoil. Study: Michigan's K-12 spending 9.5 percent below pre-recession levels. Michigan is spending 9.5 percent less per student in the 2014-15 school year than it did in the year before the 2008 economic downturn that brought the Great Recession, according to a study released Thursday. A new study shows K-12 foundation funding is still 9.5 percent below pre-recession levels in Michigan.File photo The report is from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a non-partisan research and policy institute that studies fiscal policies and public programs affecting low- and moderate-income Americans. Its study shows that the K-12 per pupil foundation grant from the state is $615 less per student, when adjusted for inflation, in the fiscal year 2015. That number does not take into account local funding for schools, instead only focusing on state aid. The 9.5 percent decrease in funding from the fiscal year 2008 is also adjusted for inflation.
Michigan's not alone - it's one of 30 states providing less funding per student since fiscal year 2008. View the full report here. Most States Still Funding Schools Less Than Before the Recession. States are providing less per-pupil funding for kindergarten through 12th grade than they did seven years ago — often far less. The reduced levels reflect primarily the lingering effects of the 2007-09 recession. At a time when states and the nation need workers with the skills to master new technologies and adapt to the complexities of a global economy, this decline in state educational investment is cause for concern. Our review of state budget documents finds that: At least 30 states are providing less funding per student for the 2014-15 school year than they did before the recession hit.
Fourteen of these states have cut per-student funding by more than 10 percent. (These figures, like all the comparisons in this paper, are in inflation-adjusted dollars and focus on the primary form of state aid to local schools.) Restoring school funding should be an urgent priority. State-level K-12 cuts have large consequences for local school districts. Why Have States Cut Funding So Deeply? School Supplies on a Budget. At the Verona Area (Wis.) School District, administrators, teachers and parents have recently faced an increasingly common challenge: continuing to provide essential school supplies to their 4,500 students despite $1.1 million in budget cuts. Increasingly dependent on funding from parents, the district has raised dozens of school fees for various student activities and added many items to the required school supply lists sent home every year.
In addition to the traditional notebooks and writing tools, parents are also asked to purchase additional items, including plastic bags, disinfecting wipes, paper cups and hand sanitizer. Verona schools are also asking for parent donations of art supplies and copy paper, and even extra funds, which the district can spend on specific supply needs. "It all adds up," says Necia Bray, mother of two elementary students. Ambiguous Policies Bridging the Supply Gap Supply Costs Increase Suspending Sales Taxes Taking It Back Kurt O. Detroit school board member vows to fight Snyder's plans. Gov. Rick Snyder's expected education proposal sparked a packed house at Thursday's Detroit Public Schools board meeting — and a pledge from one board member to fight it.
"Between May and June, we'll have to take drastic action," LaMar Lemmons said during the meeting at the Fisher Building. The governor is planning to unveil an education proposal next week that would address Detroit Public Schools' massive debt and the city's fragmented public education landscape. One key component, sources say, calls for splitting the district in two: an "old" entity to pay off the debt using revenue from an existing tax and a "new" entity focused on teaching kids. Lemmons, part of a 36-member Coalition for the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren, said he and other coalition members were briefed on some details of the proposal Thursday by the coalition's leaders, who met with Snyder earlier this week.
The 47,500-student DPS has an annual deficit of just under $170 million. Michigan School District Revenue and Expenditure Report [Mackinac Center] Crumbling, Destitute Schools Threaten Detroit’s Recovery. Residents wonder how the city can ever recoup its lost population and attract young families if the public schools are in abysmal shape. “As we begin to rebuild this city and we’re seeing money and development moving in, people are understanding that there is no way we can improve Detroit without a strong educational system,” said Mary Sheffield, a native of Detroit and a City Council member.
“We have businesses and restaurants and arenas, but our schools are falling apart and our children are uneducated. There is no Detroit without good schools.” In protest over the conditions, teachers began a series of sickouts in recent weeks, inconveniencing many families and reducing classroom instruction time for many students who could ill afford it, but pushing the matter to the forefront. The problems predate the municipal bankruptcy. One of the biggest is enrollment, which has been in free fall. Photo Academically, the district’s performance is also alarming. Mr. A spokeswoman for Mr.