Pontiac schools hires lobbyist
Thursday, December 17, 2009
By DIANA DILLABER MURRAY
Of The Oakland Press
Of The Oakland Press
The Pontiac Board of Education is hoping its investment in a lobbying firm will generate more equity in funding for the district, which is being forced to cut $25 million over five years to eliminate its deficit and stabilize its budget.
Pontiac school officials want Governmental Consultant Services Inc. to help win more equity in state school funding so the district can catch up to its neighboring districts, some of which receive $500 to $5,000 more per student in state school foundation operating grants. In the past year, some trustees and administrators have pointed out that Pontiac is a donor district. This means the school system, which includes portions of communities such as Auburn Hills and Bloomfield Township, puts more funding into the state school aid pot than it gets back.
That occurred with Proposal A in 1994, which changed school funding from a system supported by each individual district to a statewide system in which local revenue is put in a pot and distributed by the state. The goal was to bring up funding for the poorer districts without hurting the wealthy districts.
Oakland Schools’ June 30, 2009, state aid report indicated Pontiac received only $592 of its total $7,384 state aid per pupil from the state and $6,791 from local tax revenue.
In comparison, Birmingham schools was listed as receiving a total of $12,188 per pupil. Of that, $5,678 was in state aid and $6,509 was in local tax revenue. Bloomfield Hills district received $12,268 per pupil, with $6,038 in state aid and $6,229 in local revenue. Another issue important to the Pontiac district is the use of Title 1 funding that is restricted to programs to help students in high poverty areas achieve in school.
School officials launched an effort a few months ago to win more flexibility in the use of millions of dollars in Title 1 funds so it can be used to pay teachers and keep schools operating. Trustees contracted with two legal firms and Oakland Schools has been supporting the effort.
Board President Damon Dorkins said trustees are confident representatives of Government Consultant Services will work well with state Rep. Tim Melton, D-Auburn Hills, in his efforts to help bring more equity to the Pontiac School District. Melton agrees. In an interview Wednesday, he said that the corporation has helped him advocate for Pontiac schools in the past. The consultant service is contracted for two years at $2,700 a month beginning Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2010, and then $3,000 a month beginning Jan. 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2011, and on a month-by-month basis after that.
The group is expected to advocate on behalf of the district and its interests at all levels of the Legislature and state government.
The lobbyists will work closely with the district to identify and prioritize issues of importance and to help establish, prioritize and refine the district’s legislative agenda.
Contact staff writer Diana Dillaber Murray at (248) 745-4638 or diana.dillaber@oakpress.com.
Pontiac school officials want Governmental Consultant Services Inc. to help win more equity in state school funding so the district can catch up to its neighboring districts, some of which receive $500 to $5,000 more per student in state school foundation operating grants. In the past year, some trustees and administrators have pointed out that Pontiac is a donor district. This means the school system, which includes portions of communities such as Auburn Hills and Bloomfield Township, puts more funding into the state school aid pot than it gets back.
That occurred with Proposal A in 1994, which changed school funding from a system supported by each individual district to a statewide system in which local revenue is put in a pot and distributed by the state. The goal was to bring up funding for the poorer districts without hurting the wealthy districts.
Oakland Schools’ June 30, 2009, state aid report indicated Pontiac received only $592 of its total $7,384 state aid per pupil from the state and $6,791 from local tax revenue.
In comparison, Birmingham schools was listed as receiving a total of $12,188 per pupil. Of that, $5,678 was in state aid and $6,509 was in local tax revenue. Bloomfield Hills district received $12,268 per pupil, with $6,038 in state aid and $6,229 in local revenue. Another issue important to the Pontiac district is the use of Title 1 funding that is restricted to programs to help students in high poverty areas achieve in school.
School officials launched an effort a few months ago to win more flexibility in the use of millions of dollars in Title 1 funds so it can be used to pay teachers and keep schools operating. Trustees contracted with two legal firms and Oakland Schools has been supporting the effort.
Board President Damon Dorkins said trustees are confident representatives of Government Consultant Services will work well with state Rep. Tim Melton, D-Auburn Hills, in his efforts to help bring more equity to the Pontiac School District. Melton agrees. In an interview Wednesday, he said that the corporation has helped him advocate for Pontiac schools in the past. The consultant service is contracted for two years at $2,700 a month beginning Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2010, and then $3,000 a month beginning Jan. 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2011, and on a month-by-month basis after that.
The group is expected to advocate on behalf of the district and its interests at all levels of the Legislature and state government.
The lobbyists will work closely with the district to identify and prioritize issues of importance and to help establish, prioritize and refine the district’s legislative agenda.
Contact staff writer Diana Dillaber Murray at (248) 745-4638 or diana.dillaber@oakpress.com.
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