Enrollment A Factor In Michigan School Finances

LANSING (AP) - A new report says declining enrollment is one reason many Michigan public schools are facing financial struggles.

About 61 percent of Michigan's 551 traditional public school districts faced some degree of declining enrollment between the state's 1995 and 2009 fiscal years. That's according to a report Monday from the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan.

It's an important factor because much of the state aid that goes to school districts is granted on a per-student basis.

The report says about half of Michigan's school districts saw a decline in their total state aid foundation revenue between the 1995 and 2009 fiscal years once it's adjusted for inflation.

The report says the per-student gap between the state's highest and lowest funded districts has shrunk but still exists.

- View a copy of the report (.pdf format) -

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