Farmington Schools Superintendent Raises School Funding Deal Alarm

Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Sue Zurvalec heard Thursday morning that a deal struck Wednesday night to spend the state's surplus revenue could cost the district an additional $300,000. 

On Thursday afternoon, State Rep. Vicki Barnett said a deal was in the works that would eliminate the cuts for Farmington and other more highly funded districts. And MLive.com reported Thursday night that steps had been taken Thursday to ensure "that all school districts would get at least $5 more student in the next fiscal year after certain adjustments are made in the funding formula."

Zurvalec's concern reflects a tough reality for the district, which faces a budget deficit of about $7 million for the 2013-2014 school year. 

"Sadly, in education, continually having to reduce school district budgets has become ongoing work as revenues from the State for school funding continue to decline," she wrote in a special budget message emailed through the district's list serv in April. "Next year, we will be operating the District with the same level of revenue we received in 2002-2003."

On Thursday, Zurvalec took issue with a proposal to spend $350 million of the surplus on roads, given that public schools have experienced such drastic funding reductions. Zurvalec said the state's lower-funded districts would receive some funding, but "hold harmless" districts like Farmington, with additional local millages, would lose. 

"They're basically creating winners and losers in our K-12 school system," she said. 

Barnett said the inequity was the "inadvertent result" of trying to increase per pupil funding for districts that receive the lowest amount. 

"It resulted in a cut to school districts I represent and many of the school districts in Oakland County," she said. "There is a bi-partisan attempt right now to resolve the problem and ... to make sure they're kept whole."

Barnett added that she was "hopeful" a compromise agreement would be reached.