Last month it was reported that the state was training Emergency Financial Managers (EFMs). IIRC, the number of trainees was 150.
150 Michigan school systems on verge of going broke
1:40 AM, Mar. 25, 2011
BY LORI HIGGINS
DETROIT FREE PRESS EDUCATION WRITER
More than 150 school districts and charter schools in Michigan are teetering on the edge of going broke, a situation that is likely to get worse under Gov. Rick Snyder's proposed cuts of $470 per pupil.
These are the districts that have so little set aside in rainy day funds that Snyder's cuts -- coupled with a huge increase in retirement costs this summer -- could put them in a deficit, joining the 43 districts and charters already there.
It's a situation that has mobilized school leaders -- testifying in Lansing, writing lawmakers and sending letters to parents. They say that after years of closing schools, laying off staff and slashing programs, there's little left to cut.
• Database: See how much your district has put aside for a rainy day.
The proposed cuts would be "a final blow so powerful, it would almost undeniably shut our doors," Garden City Superintendent Michelle Cline told a state House appropriations subcommittee last week.
But some say schools need to look at doing more: sharing services, consolidating districts and asking staff to contribute more to health care.
"We cannot just cut our way out of this situation," said Tom Watkins, a former state superintendent who is now an education consultant.
more...
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