money

Michigan's major taxes netted nearly $1.2 billion in March, up by a whopping 22.3 percent over the same month a year ago, according to the figures released Thursday by the Senate Fiscal Agency.
For the 2007-08 fiscal year to date the state has collected $7.7 billion, up 5.9 percent from the same time a year ago.
The state saw major increases in income tax, sales tax and oil and gas severance tax collections, while dealing with declines in Single Business Tax, use tax and real estate transfer tax collections.

In Md., Teed About Principal's Golf Cart
Some Question Need, Expense
By Daniel de Vise
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 29, 2008; B01
The redesigned $87 million Richard Montgomery High School, flagship of the Montgomery County school system, occupies a building that's as long as two football fields. So Moreno Carrasco, the principal, decided to purchase a golf cart to help him get around.
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The MEEMIC Foundation has a mini-grant program that can provide funding for creative enhancements to your current curriculum that positively impacts the future of your students. Grants of up to $2,500 are available.

Applications may be completed online at www.meemic.com. Click on “Especially for Educators” and follow the links to the MEEMIC Foundation.

SCHOOL AID BUDGET TAKES SPENDING CUT – Facing the prospect of having $150 million less to spend than anticipated after the January Revenue Conference, the Senate Appropriations K-12, School Aid and Education Subcommittee reported its proposed budget which makes major revisions to the spending plan envisioned by Governor Granholm. The constrained spending proposal eliminated the Governor’s plan for smaller high schools and her call for all-day kindergarten schooling.

School officials this year will likely wake up to the reality Michigan homeowners are facing: declining property values mean the loss of real money — value upon sale for homeowners and tax dollars for school districts.

News is percolating through the capital that sinking property and home values around the state could force state lawmakers to readjust the state school aid budget, because the dollars they thought would be available may not materialize. That could hurt efforts to create smaller high schools and pump more state support into early childhood education.