LANSING, Mich., Sept. 28, 2021 — Last week, state Rep. Padma Kuppa (D-Troy) introduced House Bill 5317 to promote transparency and accountability in Michigan’s schools without placing heavy burdens on school personnel.
“Taxpayers deserve to know where our state funds are going, how they are being spent, and on what terms these allocations are being made,” said Kuppa. “Especially when it comes to our children’s education, we have to ensure that state funding earmarked for kids is not being used to line the pockets of those who lead private, for-profit businesses.”
HB 5317 would require a taxpayer-funded school district to make each contract entered into between the district and an educational management organization (EMO) available through a link on its website homepage or through its intermediate district’s website homepage, as applicable. An EMO is a private, often for-profit, entity that operates at least one school using public funds.
“This legislation requires minimal effort on the part of school personnel but would go a long way toward promoting transparency, accountability and public confidence in the use of our tax dollars,” said Kuppa. “If an EMO is going to use public funds to make profits, then there should be nothing to hide from Michigan’s taxpayers.”
HB 5317 has been referred to the House Committee on Education for further consideration.
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