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Commission urges measured Act 73 rollout, clearer closure process and local decision authority
Summary
The Commission on the Future of Public Education told a legislative committee it recommends most decisions stay local, the state provide resources and oversight for statewide priorities, an 18-month minimum school-closure process with robust public input and an appeals route to the State Board of Education.
Jay Nichols, a representative of the Commission on the Future of Public Education, and Peter Coleman, vice chair of the commission, told the Health Education Committee on Jan. 7 that the commission framed its recommendations assuming key provisions of Act 73 would take effect.
The commission’s central recommendation is that most decisions should remain at the local level unless the state sets a policy. "We felt that the vision for public education should be set by the Agency of Education with the State Board of Education together," Nichols said, and the state should resource districts so they can meet statewide priorities.
The commission proposed simplifying ballot language for voter approval of education opportunity payments so taxpayers can more easily understand the tax impact of supplemental district spending, though members did not reach consensus on exact wording.
On collective bargaining, the commission’s majority recommended compensation and benefits, including health…
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