Governor Rick Snyder can expect a controversial bill on his desk soon. Lawmakers passed legislation to send more money to charter schools Tuesday.
If the governor signs the bill, charter schools would qualify for new or renewed countywide tax millage dollars. Historically, that money has only gone to traditional public schools.
Jennifer Smith is with the Michigan Association of School Boards. That organization is against the bills. Smith says traditional public schools have costs charter schools don’t have.
“We don’t feel it’s necessary for charter schools to be included in that when they don’t have some of those costs to offset.”
“As we look at how we’re paid across the state that’s just not the way our system is set up. And as long as we have disparities in costs, these mechanisms to help make that up and put more money in the classrooms should still be allowed to exist in the ways that they do now.”
Dan Quisenberry is President of Michigan’s charter school association.
“There’s no differentiation amongst the districts within a county sharing in those regional millages, they don’t compare expenses. So taxpayers are looking to either fund or not fund schools and it should go to every public school in the region.”
The bill wouldn’t take effect immediately. The millage would apply only to new or renewed millages.