Livingston Today

After school groups and parents spent months criticizing the cuts, Democrats returned to session today and unveiled a proposal that restores $125 million of the $302 million they initially cut. State Rep. Ann Bollin voted in favor of the plan but said more needs to be done to prevent schools from making devastating cuts.

Bollin said the funding plan approved by the House fails to restore most of the school safety and mental health funding that was slashed by Democrats in the school aid budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.

“This isn’t leadership — it’s damage control,” said Bollin, R-Brighton Township. “Democrats want to act like heroes after they decimated school safety funding, but their weak fix still leaves schools with a shortfall. Some districts are being forced to lay off school resource officers and forego building improvements that keep our kids safe.”

The school budget signed by Gov. Whitmer in July cut school safety and mental health funding by $302 million, or 92%. The budget passed along partisan lines in both the House and Senate, with Bollin and all other Republicans voting against it.

“Lansing Democrats are playing catch-up, but their weak attempt to restore some funding doesn’t come close to what schools have lost. No one should be patting themselves on the back while resource officers, counselors, and mental health professionals are facing layoffs across the state.”

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