State Legislators Pass Slashing Cuts to Education

The Michigan House of Representatives approved statewide cuts to education funding Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

The cuts, approved 57-53 in the Republican-led House, will slash funding for public schools, community colleges and universities. It now heads to the state Senate, where differences must be reconciled between the chambers' differing versions of the bill.

The House proposal would cut school funding by an additional $256 to $297 per student. That's on top of a $170 per student cut that's already in place and would be carried over into next fiscal year.

State Rep. Andrew Kandrevas (D-Southgate), whose district includes Wyandotte, opposed the cuts.

In a written statement, Kandrevas said he criticized his colleagues for passing a budget that he believes will have disastrous results for the state.

“I am in utter disbelief that my colleagues would vote for these unconscionable cuts to our schools,” Kandrevas said. “Residents across the state of Michigan, while divided on many issues, have voiced overwhelming support for their children’s education. To take this funding away from our educational system is to doom a generation of future Michiganians to a substandard education; indeed, these cuts will do lasting, irrevocable harm to the social and economic well-being of our state.”

Kandrevas said there were many people on the Republican side of the House of Representatives and members of Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration who pressured people into voting in favor of the cuts.

According to the statement, cuts of this magnitude will almost certainly eliminate jobs, increase class sizes and limit educational programs and they are likely to force many districts into a state of financial emergency.

“Education is really the number one talk of the town and I hope at least my colleagues will be able to revisit the budget and not make these cuts permanent,” Kandrevas said.

Unsure how the state's education budget will look once finally approved, Wyandotte school officials said they had to prepare for the worst and earlier this month, .

Some of those people are expected to be recalled by the fall, but that ultimately depends on how much the state cuts per-pupil funding.

Board of Education members are in the midst of trying to balance next year's budget, which currently has .