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State House Democrats Lay Out Plan To Aid Struggling Schools

Michigan House Democrats say the state is failing schools with severe budget deficits and persistently low test scores.

As The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher reports, they unveiled a plan Monday that would change the state’s approach to turning those schools around.

The state recently closed two districts due to budget issues. And last year it created a state-run district for schools with persistently low test scores. But the Democrats’ plan is also a reaction to what they see as dwindling state funding going directly to classrooms.

Representative Brandon Dillon says Republicans in Lansing are taking the wrong approach.

“Their goal was to try to find a way to educate students on the cheap and further cut the investment we make in our kids’ education,” he says.

Among other things, the plan would require the state to determine the true cost of educating a public school student in Michigan. It would also require charters and virtual schools to have boards that comply with the Open Meetings Act.

Republicans contend they’ve increased funding for public education in recent years.

Jake Neher is a reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network. He covers the State Legislature and other political events in Lansing.
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