SENATE BILL No. 246

 

 

February 23, 2005, Introduced by Senators EMERSON, THOMAS, BARCIA, SCOTT, CHERRY, SCHAUER, BASHAM, OLSHOVE, JACOBS, BRATER, CLARK-COLEMAN, CLARKE and BERNERO and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1979 PA 94, entitled

 

"The state school aid act of 1979,"

 

by amending the title and section 11 (MCL 388.1611), the title as

 

amended by 2003 PA 158 and section 11 as amended by 2004 PA 518,

 

and by adding sections 12 and 147a.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

TITLE

 

     An act to make appropriations to aid in the support of the

 

public schools and the intermediate school districts of the state;

 

to make appropriations for certain other purposes relating to

 

education; to provide for the disbursement of the appropriations;

 

to establish minimum funding for the public schools, the

 

intermediate school districts, the community colleges, and the

 

public universities of this state; to supplement the school aid


 

fund by the levy and collection of certain taxes; to authorize the

 

issuance of certain bonds and provide for the security of those

 

bonds; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state

 

departments, the state board of education, and certain other boards

 

and officials; to create certain funds and provide for their

 

expenditure; to prescribe penalties; and to repeal acts and parts

 

of acts.

 

     Sec. 11. (1) In addition to all other appropriations under

 

this act for that fiscal year, for the fiscal year ending September

 

30, 2004, there is appropriated to the state school aid fund from

 

the unreserved balance in the general fund an amount equal to any

 

deficit balance that would otherwise exist in the state school aid

 

fund at bookclosing for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004.

 

For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005 2006, there is

 

appropriated for the public schools of this state and certain other

 

state purposes relating to education the sum of $10,909,200,000.00

 

from the state school aid fund established by section 11 of article

 

IX of the state constitution of 1963 and the sum of $264,700,000.00

 

from the general fund from the state school aid fund the sum

 

necessary to fulfill the requirements of this act, and any

 

deficiency is appropriated from the general fund. In addition,

 

available federal funds are appropriated for each of those fiscal

 

years that fiscal year. The estimated appropriations and the

 

estimated sources of revenue provided for in this 2005 amendatory

 

act are as follows:

 

     (a) The gross appropriation is estimated at $________________.

 

     (b) The sources of revenue are estimated as follows:


 

     (i) From the state school aid fund, $_______________.

 

     (ii) From the general fund, $_______________.

 

     (iii) From federal funds, $_____________.

 

     (2) For the 2005-2006 state fiscal year, the total amount

 

appropriated under this act from state funds shall not be less than

 

the total amount appropriated under this act from state funds for

 

the 2002-2003 state fiscal year, adjusted by the percentage

 

increase in the general price level from the 2002 calendar year to

 

the 2005 calendar year. For each state fiscal year after the 2005-

 

2006 state fiscal year, the total amount appropriated under this

 

act from state funds shall be increased from that total amount for

 

the immediately preceding state fiscal year by an amount at least

 

equal to the lesser of 5% or the percentage increase in the general

 

price level for the calendar year ending in the immediately

 

preceding state fiscal year. As used in this subsection, "general

 

price level" means the consumer price index for the United States

 

as defined and officially reported by the United States department

 

of labor or its successor agency.

 

     (3)  (2)  The appropriations under this section shall be

 

allocated as provided in this act. Money appropriated under this

 

section from the general fund shall be expended to fund the

 

purposes of this act before the expenditure of money appropriated

 

under this section from the state school aid fund. If the maximum

 

amount appropriated amount available for appropriation under this

 

section from the state school aid fund for a fiscal year exceeds

 

the amount necessary to fully fund allocations under this act from

 

the state school aid fund, that excess amount shall not be expended


 

in that state fiscal year and shall not lapse to the general fund,

 

but instead shall be deposited into the school aid stabilization

 

fund created in section 11a.

 

     (3) If the maximum amount appropriated under this section from

 

the state school aid fund and the school aid stabilization fund for

 

a fiscal year exceeds the amount available for expenditure from the

 

state school aid fund for that fiscal year, payments under sections

 

11f, 11g, 11j, 22a, 26a, 31d, 51a(2), 51a(12), 51c, 53a, and 56

 

shall be made in full. In addition, for districts beginning

 

operations after 1994-95 that qualify for payments under section

 

22b, payments under section 22b shall be made so that the

 

qualifying districts receive the lesser of an amount equal to the

 

1994-95 foundation allowance of the district in which the district

 

beginning operations after 1994-95 is located or $5,500.00. The

 

amount of the payment to be made under section 22b for these

 

qualifying districts shall be as calculated under section 22a, with

 

the balance of the payment under section 22b being subject to the

 

proration otherwise provided under this subsection and subsection

 

(4). Subject to subsection (5), if proration is necessary after

 

2002-2003, state payments under each of the other sections of this

 

act from all state funding sources shall be prorated in the manner

 

prescribed in subsection (4) as necessary to reflect the amount

 

available for expenditure from the state school aid fund for the

 

affected fiscal year. However, if the department of treasury

 

determines that proration will be required under this subsection,

 

or if the department of treasury determines that further proration

 

is required under this subsection after an initial proration has


 

already been made for a fiscal year, the department of treasury

 

shall notify the state budget director, and the state budget

 

director shall notify the legislature at least 30 calendar days or

 

6 legislative session days, whichever is more, before the

 

department reduces any payments under this act because of the

 

proration. During the 30 calendar day or 6 legislative session day

 

period after that notification by the state budget director, the

 

department shall not reduce any payments under this act because of

 

proration under this subsection. The legislature may prevent

 

proration from occurring by, within the 30 calendar day or 6

 

legislative session day period after that notification by the state

 

budget director, enacting legislation appropriating additional

 

funds from the general fund, countercyclical budget and economic

 

stabilization fund, state school aid fund balance, or another

 

source to fund the amount of the projected shortfall.

 

     (4) Subject to subsection (5), if proration is necessary, the

 

department shall calculate the proration in district and

 

intermediate district payments that is required under subsection

 

(3) as follows:

 

     (a) The department shall calculate the percentage of total

 

state school aid allocated under this act for the affected fiscal

 

year for each of the following:

 

     (i) Districts.

 

     (ii) Intermediate districts.

 

     (iii) Entities other than districts or intermediate districts.

 

     (b) The department shall recover a percentage of the proration

 

amount required under subsection (3) that is equal to the


 

percentage calculated under subdivision (a)(i) for districts by

 

reducing payments to districts. This reduction shall be made by

 

calculating an equal dollar amount per pupil as necessary to

 

recover this percentage of the proration amount and reducing each

 

district's total state school aid from state sources, other than

 

payments under sections 11f, 11g, 11j, 22a, 26a, 31d, 51a(2),

 

51a(12), 51c, and 53a, by that amount.

 

     (c) The department shall recover a percentage of the proration

 

amount required under subsection (3) that is equal to the

 

percentage calculated under subdivision (a)(ii) for intermediate

 

districts by reducing payments to intermediate districts. This

 

reduction shall be made by reducing the payments to each

 

intermediate district, other than payments under sections 11f, 11g,

 

26a, 51a(2), 51a(12), 53a, and 56, on an equal percentage basis.

 

     (d) The department shall recover a percentage of the proration

 

amount required under subsection (3) that is equal to the

 

percentage calculated under subdivision (a)(iii) for entities other

 

than districts and intermediate districts by reducing payments to

 

these entities. This reduction shall be made by reducing the

 

payments to each of these entities, other than payments under

 

sections 11j and 26a, on an equal percentage basis.

 

     (5) Beginning in 2004-2005, if a district has an emergency

 

financial manager in place under the local government fiscal

 

responsibility act, 1990 PA 72, MCL 141.1201 to 141.1291, payments

 

to that district are not subject to proration under this section.

 

     (4)  (6)  Except for the allocation under section 26a, any

 

general fund allocations under this act that are not expended by


 

the end of the state fiscal year are transferred to the state

 

school aid fund. If it is determined at the May 2005 revenue

 

estimating conference conducted under section 367b of the

 

management and budget act, 1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1367b, that there is

 

additional school aid fund revenue beyond that determined at the

 

May 2004 revenue estimating conference, then it is the intent of

 

the legislature to enact legislation to fund, to the extent that

 

revenues are available, the same programs in the same amount that

 

were funded under section 81 in 2003 PA 236 and the same pupil

 

membership formula as in effect under 2003 PA 236.

 

     Sec. 12. (1) For the 2005-2006 state fiscal year, the amount

 

of the basic foundation allowance as calculated under section 20

 

and the amounts allocated under sections 22a, 22b, 31a, 51a, 51c,

 

and 81, respectively, shall not be less than those amounts as

 

originally enacted for the 2002-2003 state fiscal year before any

 

proration, adjusted by the percentage increase in the general price

 

level from the 2002 calendar year to the 2005 calendar year. For

 

each state fiscal year after the 2005-2006 state fiscal year, the

 

amount of the basic foundation allowance as calculated under

 

section 20 and the amounts allocated under sections 22a, 22b, 31a,

 

51a, 51c, and 81, respectively, shall be increased from those

 

amounts for the immediately preceding state fiscal year by an

 

amount at least equal to the lesser of 5% or the percentage

 

increase in the general price level for the calendar year ending in

 

the immediately preceding state fiscal year.

 

     (2) Beginning with the 2005-2006 state fiscal year, if the

 

total number of pupils enrolled and counted in membership in a


 

district is less than 90% of the total number of pupils residing in

 

the district who are enrolled and counted in membership in either

 

that district or 1 or more other districts, the total amount of

 

money allocated to that district under sections 22a, 22b, and 51c,

 

as calculated pursuant to subsection (1), shall be adjusted so that

 

the district receives a total allocation under sections 22a, 22b,

 

and 51c equal to the amount the district would receive under

 

sections 22a, 22b, and 51c if exactly 90% of the pupils residing in

 

the district who are enrolled and counted in either that district

 

or 1 or more other districts were enrolled and counted in

 

membership in that district.

 

     (3) For the 2005-2006 state fiscal year, the gross

 

appropriation for operations for all community colleges shall not

 

be less than the gross appropriation for operations for all

 

community colleges for the 2002-2003 state fiscal year, as provided

 

by 2002 PA 161 and 2003 PA 146, adjusted by the percentage increase

 

in the general price level from the 2002 calendar year to the 2005

 

calendar year.  For each state fiscal year after the 2005-2006

 

state fiscal year, the gross appropriation for operations for all

 

community colleges shall be increased from the gross appropriation

 

for operations for all community colleges for the immediately

 

preceding state fiscal year by an amount at least equal to the

 

lesser of 5% or the percentage increase in the general price level

 

for the calendar year ending in the immediately preceding state

 

fiscal year.

 

     (4) In the 2005-2006 state fiscal year, the sum of the gross

 

appropriations for each public university shall not be less than


 

the sum of the gross appropriations for each public university for

 

the 2002-2003 state fiscal year, as provided by 2002 PA 144 and

 

2003 PA 144, adjusted by the percentage increase in the general

 

price level from the 2002 calendar year to the 2005 calendar year.

 

For each state fiscal year after the 2005-2006 state fiscal year,

 

the sum of the gross appropriations for each public university

 

shall be increased from the sum of the gross appropriations for

 

each public university for the immediately preceding state fiscal

 

year by an amount at least equal to the lesser of 5% or the

 

percentage increase in the general price level for the calendar

 

year ending in the immediately preceding state fiscal year. For the

 

purposes of this subsection, the gross appropriation for Michigan

 

state university includes appropriations for the agricultural

 

experiment station and cooperative extension service at Michigan

 

state university.

 

     (5) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Community college" means a community college organized

 

under the community college act of 1966, 1966 PA 331, MCL 389.1 to

 

389.195, or established under part 25 of the revised school code,

 

MCL 380.1601 to 380.1607.

 

     (b) "General price level" means the consumer price index for

 

the United States as defined and officially reported by the United

 

States Department of Labor or its successor agency.

 

     (c) "Public university" means a state university described in

 

section 4, 5, or 6 of article VIII of the state constitution of

 

1963.

 

     Sec. 147a. (1) Of all of the total percentage points


 

determined and assigned to reporting units pursuant to the public

 

school employees retirement act of 1979, 1980 PA 300, MCL 38.1301

 

to 38.1408, and allocated to reporting units under section 147 or

 

otherwise officially communicated to reporting units, each

 

reporting unit is responsible for paying from its general operating

 

funds 80% of the total percentage points or 12.99%, whichever is

 

less. Each reporting unit shall pay the remaining balance of the

 

total percentage points to the public school employees’ retirement

 

system from funds appropriated to the reporting units for this

 

purpose under subsection (2).

 

     (2) For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, in addition

 

to the general fund money appropriated under section 11, there is

 

appropriated from the general fund to the reporting units the sum

 

necessary for paying the remaining balance of the total percentage

 

points to be paid by the reporting units as described in subsection

 

(1).

 

     (3) As used in this section, "reporting unit" means that term

 

as defined in section 7 of the public school employees retirement

 

act of 1979, 1980 PA 300, MCL 38.1307.

 

     Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act shall be known as the

 

"educational funding guarantee law".