MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Several state legislators are in town for the UP200 this weekend. Before the races began, they participated in a panel discussion at the Marquette-Alger Regional Education Service Agency (MARESA).
On Friday morning, MARESA hosted its annual Legislative Breakfast for lawmakers and local educators. The agency welcomed Representative Mallory McMorrow, Senator Ed McBroom, Representative Karl Bohnak, Representative Parker Fairbairn, Representative Dave Prestin, Representative Greg Markkanen, Representative Timothy Beson, and Representative Bradley Slagh.
One hot-button topic the legislators were asked to address was the three-month delay in passing Michigan’s most recent education budget.
“I wonder why we’re held to a July 1st deadline, and the legislature is not,” Marquette Area Public Schools Superintendent Zack Sedgwick said. “It seems hypocritical. There’s also the backroom bargains that are coming in at the eleventh hour.”
Republican State Senator McBroom said that while he initially believed it could have been passed on time, it is a “huge challenge” to craft a budget that includes every legislator’s priorities.
“The House under the new speaker there really prioritized roads,” he said. “Speaker [Matt] Hall is a deal maker, all the time. He sees everything as leverage to something else. He wanted what he wanted to get done and knew that the best leverage he had over the Senate was the budget.”
A few superintendents expressed concerns over school funding going toward higher education institutions.
“You see situations that feel a little bit counterintuitive, like some of our community colleges who are using some of this funding to provide scholarships—and oftentimes athletic scholarships—to people from out of state or who are international,” said Dr. Coby Fletcher, Superintendent of Escanaba Area Public Schools. “It feels to me like those monies would be better put to use for Michigan students.”
Representative Bohnak suggested that perhaps if the budget remained the same but higher education was separate, schools would have more funding for infrastructure needs.
“I’m a new guy… and I don’t understand how higher education got involved in the K-12 budget,” the Republican said. “… You go to Northern or Michigan Tech or Lake Superior State, and the campus looks pristine, the buildings are great. Then you go to our local school districts, and there’s pot holes in the parking lots. It’s a problem.”
Both legislators and local educators agreed that a student’s address should not impact the quality of their education. Many also said that the best way to ensure satisfied students, parents, and school administrators is collaboration.
“The budget process is always ongoing,” said Representative McMorrow, a Democrat. “Don’t be shy to reach out to your legislator, your state senator, your state rep. Text, call. We are only as good advocating for you as we hear from you. The Governor just presented her budget recommendation last week, so the budget process has begun. Get in touch, and we’ll do everything we can to make sure that your school has everything it needs.”
“My message to the legislators would be that we are a partner with them,” MARESA Educational Services Deputy Superintendent Dr. Travis Smith. “We are here to serve as a resource. As they have questions, we can come alongside them as a partner and help inform that legislative process.”
Legislators, superintendents, and school administrators also enjoyed breakfast before the panel discussion began.
