By: Health Insurance
Submitted: 2009-12-10 10:00:54 | Word Count: 697
Only 23 percent of respondents said the taxes and fees paid for public education are "too high"; 60 percent said they are about right, and 12 percent said "too low."
The results come at a time when protests against the worst school cuts in Michigan history have reached a fever pitch, and could mean Senate Republicans have pushed too far with their focus on balancing the budget without raising taxes, said Bernie Porn, president of EPIC-MRA, the Lansing polling firm that surveyed 600 voters statewide. A plurality of those polled, 45 percent, said teacher health insurance benefits were about right. The high cost of teacher health care has been a key issue for House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford Township, who has proposed trimming costs by pooling health plans for teachers and other public employees.
[ advertisement ]
The results show Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, and Dillon may be missing the mark on public opinion, Porn said.
"I would say that given the results, (Bishop) may well have won a battle but in the end may lose a war," Porn said. "It's a sea change of public opinion that is making people more accepting of tax increase proposals and of structural changes in the tax system."
According to the poll, 83 percent of Michigan voters say the salary and wages of Michigan teachers are about right or too low. Amid public debate over Dillon's proposal, a 54 percent majority say teacher benefits are about right or too low.
"Politicians and pundits who attack teachers based on their pay and benefits are out of touch with the opinions of Michigan voters," Porn said.
The survey showed Michiganians are feeling the effects of painful school cuts. The Legislature cut $292 per pupil from the school aid budget for 2009-10. Gov. Jennifer Granholm then slashed another $127 per pupil, and an additional $52 million in funding for better-off school districts.
Sixty-two percent of respondents said their local public school district has made cuts in the local school budget. Of those cuts, 30 percent said teachers and support staff were cut, 10 percent said support staff was cut, 5 percent said only teachers were cut, 20 percent said other cuts were made and 23 percent said a combination of cuts were made.
When given a choice, 79 percent of survey respondents said state funding for education should not be cut. And results showed people are anxious about future cuts.
Sixty-four percent said their local public school district will have to make budget cuts next year -- with 37 percent saying it will include cuts to teachers and support staff 8 percent said just support staff, and 3 percent said just teachers -- 16 percent said other cuts will be required, and 26 percent said cuts will include a combination of all areas.
When asked how much budgets for local public school districts in Michigan can continue to be cut, 78 percent said Michigan school districts can be cut "only a little" or "not at all." When asked about their local public schools, 79 percent said they can be cut "only a little" or "not at all."
If there are more budget cuts in their local public school district, 79 percent said teachers should not be laid off, 68 percent said bus service should not be cut or eliminated, 53 percent said parents should be required to pay higher fees for sports programs to reduce costs, and 32 percent said cuts in sports programs should be avoided. Forty-three percent said parents should be required to pay higher fees for music, band, art and other extra-curricular activities, with 45 percent saying those cuts should be avoided.
Survey respondents said that the largest class size should be 29 students, and 86 percent said it was very (56 percent) or somewhat (30 percent) important to protect current class size.
