I am writing to urge all of you to call or email your state Representative and Senator in the state of Michigan requesting that they stop Governor Snyder's attempt to take money from the School Aid Fund for the funding of community colleges and universities. As Harrison Superintendent Tom House has written recently, Proposal A was not passed by citizens with the intent of funding higher education. While it would appear that taking funds from this account for the purpose of funding colleges would be unconstitutional, Democrats and moderate Republican state legislators are currently looking at amending the State Constitution to make sure that the transfer of these funds cannot occur. While it is a terrible time for cuts in any form of education, colleges and universities are able to make up their losses through other options such as raising tuition or cutting their own costs. A story in this past Sunday's Detroit Free Press shows that the average state university's administration costs have risen almost 30% in recent years. This is unsustainable and unreasonable in today's economic climate. So while teachers and instructors are constantly demonized by the media as the reason for the problems that exist in funding our schools, it is time to do your own research and look at the rising administrative costs and money dedicated to research rather than actual instruction. Colleges and universities should be held to the same fiscal responsibility and accountability that our local school systems are being asked to subject themselves to. Our local schools cannot cut any more without severely decimating the current educational system. What good is it to fund our community colleges and universities if there are no students left in our local schools to send there?
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