While the Lake Orion School District is hardly in a financial lurch, school officials are disappointed that a ballot proposal that would have guaranteed yearly funding increases for schools was soundly defeated on Nov. 7.
The proposal would also have created improved funding equity among school districts statewide, while capping the cost of employee retirement at state schools and colleges.
Schools Superintendent Christine Lehman said the passage of Proposal 5 would have been a financial boon to the Lake Orion School dDstrict and others across the state, all of which are facing continuing cuts in funding.
Voters defeated the state ballot proposal by a margin of about 62 percent opposed, to 38 percent in favor. It was a wider margin than many in the education field anticipated.
‘Any kind of guaranteed funding changes would have affected us in a positive way,? said Lehman.
She added that Michigan’s continuing economic problems aren’t helping matters.
‘We’ve already been notified that we might receive a mid-year cut in funding,? Lehman said. ‘There is that possibility, although they aren’t telling us what that cut will be as yet.
‘At least they’ve given us the heads-up, so it won’t be a surprise,? she continued. ‘The reduction is because of the state of our economy.?
The superintendent added that the district’s student population is now static after several years of significant growth.
‘Our growth has slowed,? Lehman said. ‘But this wasn’t a surprise to us either.?
‘The economy has slowed new development in the district and we were just about on target with our expectations,? she added.
On the most recent ‘student count? day, the district’s population was just short of 8,000 students, an increase of about 10 over last year’s numbers, Lehman pointed out.
‘The district had been growing at the rate of several hundred per year,? said Lehman. ‘Our growth has pretty much come to a halt.?
Had Proposal 5 passed, it also would have increased educational funding by about $565 million annually. If there were deficiencies in funding, the needed money would come from the state’s general fund.