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Gladstone keeping eye on school funding from state

GLADSTONE — Gladstone Superintendent Jay Kulbertis provided the Gladstone School Board with an update on Michigan’s state budget development process for the 2018-2019 fiscal year during its regular meeting Monday.

“At this time of year, things really start to heat up at the state level in terms of budget,” he said.

The Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference took place in mid-May, Kulbertis said. At this conference, members of Michigan’s House and Senate estimated the amount of money the state collected during the 2017-18 fiscal year and how much it will have to spend in 2018-19.

Revenues were found to be slightly higher than expected at this year’s Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference.

“What that means now is that they’ll go into a conference committee with the House and the Senate — they can take their initial budgets and work out those details,” Kulbertis said.

According to Kulbertis, there are some factors complicating the budget development process this year. These include a lack of clarity surrounding funding for Gov. Rick Snyder’s Marshall Plan for Talent, a school safety reform package expected to cost between $20 million and $160 million, and a financial study that found that schools across the state are being underfunded by thousands of dollars per student.

“It’ll be very interesting to see what the conference committee decides to do with some of that additional revenue that was recognized at that conference,” Kulbertis said.

Additionally, Kulbertis said there are currently a few dozen education bills in Michigan’s Legislature.

“Those sponsors are looking to leverage budget talks to try to gain support for their bills,” he said.

Kulbertis noted he has been paying close attention to legislative efforts related to education on the state level.

“There are some things that would be really good and some things that are maybe a little bit off the mark,” he said.

In other business, the board:

– officially supported a budget resolution for the Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District.

– accepted a letter rescinding intent to retire from Jim Murtha.

– approved the Teamster hiring of bus driver Diana Kelly-Ekberg.

– accepted letters of resignation from Melinda Verbrigghe and Kristie Nevala as varsity cheerleading co-coaches.

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