Call to action

Summary: Contact Governor Granholm. We need you to contact Governor Granholm’s office via phone calls, faxes and/or letters, asking her to immediately call for legislative restoration of 20j monies.

Sample letters: Parent letter.doc      Community Member letter.doc   in Microsoft Word format.

Download the letter. Edit. FAX or send in your regular postal mail.

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As you may already know the governor has signed the state aid bill but vetoed our 20j money that was created in 1999 to ensure equal funding increases to all school districts.  The loss of 20j money will cost us $5,000,000.  Thus the total loss from the state aid cuts for the 2009-10 school year will be $9,500,000, equal to a $527 per student cut, as found below.

• Foundation allowance per pupil: $3,000,000
• 31a at risk funds $1,500,000
• 20j funds: $5,000,000

With this veto our total cuts for the 2009-10 year will be $20.9M, $9.5M of which is attributed to the above state funding loss.  Please remember, we are already a donor district and send $14M more to the state than the district gets back.

 There has never been a more pressing time when we need your assistance.  We are fortunate that we still are a very attractive district drawing over 400 additional students into our schools this year alone to bring us to 18,444, fourth largest in the State of Michigan.  We can not afford though to take the brunt end of this hit disproportionally more than most all other districts.  Please see below on how you can help us.

 CALL TO ACTION!!!

SYNOPSIS: Governor Granholm has vetoed 20j funding as a strategy to get Senator Mike Bishop to agree to increases of revenue from specific taxes so to be able to fund this year’s state aid package which was most recently passed. Senator Bishop is a supporter of 20j funding, which goes to 43 districts, benefitting approximately 200,000 students. 

 ACTION STEPS:

1. Contact Governor Granholm:  We need you to contact Governor Granholm’s office via phone calls, faxes and/or letters, asking her to immediately call for legislative restoration of 20j monies.  If cuts need to be made then all districts across the state should be cut the same per-pupil amount.  Cutting more funds from some districts and less from others is not equitable and pits school district against school district.  Dearborn is a leader in education initiatives that provide instruction and services to a large at-risk student population. The district needs the Governor’s support in continuing to bring excellence to Michigan. Please personalize your communication.  Attached you will find letters that can be edited and sent from different group perspectives.
    

Call Governor Granholm at 517-373-3400, fax her at 517-335-6863 and/or write her at: 

            Governor Jennifer Granholm

            P.O. Box 30013

            Lansing, Michigan 48909

2. Contact Senator Mike Bishop:  We need you to contact Senator Mike Bishop’s office via phone calls, faxes and/or letters, first of all thanking him for supporting 20j funding over the years and then asking him to work out a solution that will preserve 20j funding.  Do not attack, but let him know on how much this means to 43 districts including Dearborn and how important it is for him to do the right thing for the greater benefit of students and their education in the State of Michigan.  Do not use the attached letters for Senator Bishop.  They are meant for Governor Granholm.
   
   

Call Senator Mike Bishop at 517-373-2417, fax him at 517-373-2694 and/or write him at:

            Senator Mike Bishop

            P.O. Box 30036

            Lansing, Michigan 48909

 We are running out of time so please act now.  Please let us know if you have made contact or send us your correspondence.

Thank you,

Brian Whiston, Superintendent,
Dearborn Public Schools

 
Ron Gutkowski, Assistant Superintendent
Dearborn Public Schools