LANSING – State Representative Marc Corriveau (D-Northville) today voted for a plan that will restore $184 million in funding to schools and help ease deep cuts to education that could seriously affect Michigan's ability to prepare children for future jobs. Corriveau also voted to move the state's School Aid Budget deadline to June 1 in order to prevent the type of budget chaos that ensued when legislators failed to reach a budget accord by Oct. 1 this year.
"Investing in our schools and our children is essential to turning around Michigan's struggling economy," said Corriveau, a member of the House Education Committee. "While many departments and services are hurting because of shrinking state revenue, the size, scope and timing of these cuts to education has caught our schools completely off guard. This plan will return millions in education funding that was gutted by the state Senate's all-cuts budget, and move up the budget deadline in order to help curb the political games that put Michigan's schools at risk."
In addition, Corriveau sponsored an amendment to restore funding to 20j schools that saw more than $52 million in additional budget cuts. The amendment, which the House approved, would restore $25.7 million of the cut to 20j school districts through the Michigan Future Fund. Northville Public Schools is one of the school districts that would have the drastic 20j cut partially restored.
"Our children's education must be our top priority – now more than ever, because we have to prepare them to compete for 21st century jobs," Corriveau said. "The budget can't be balanced on the backs of our kids, and I won't give up fighting until our schools receive the resources necessary to educate our children this school year."