LANSING —The House passed Senate Bill 574 today, which will allow charter schools to siphon off regional school millage dollars approved by voters. In response, state Rep. Scott Dianda (D-Calumet) issued the following statement:
“I could not vote for Senate Bill 547 because it takes money away from local public school students and their education and gives it to for-profit charter schools and the education management organizations that run them. When local residents support tax millages, they expect that money to support their students. Instead, this bill would also use that money to support these for profit charter schools and EMOs that do not operate with the same transparency that public schools do. The Legislature should not be interfering with local millage elections and saying where the money should go, and that is why I voted no on SB 574.”