BY LAURA WEBER
Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING -- The state House has approved a $208 million transfer from the School Aid Fund to fill holes in other areas of the state budget.
The money had been called a "surplus" because sales tax collections, which go into the schools budget, were higher than expected. But many schools advocates say it was not a surplus, because schools took deep cuts last year, and that money was a safeguard against future cuts.
House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp.) said he understands the frustration, but lawmakers are left with few options.
"It's the best option. It's the least bad option we have," he said. "With the new federal money coming in the schools are ahead $100 million so that changes the dynamics from a few months ago."
But State Rep. Chuck Moss (R-Birmingham) says it could be dangerous to move any money away from schools.
"I think that the schools need to be saving all the money that they can, looking for all the reforms they can to get their overhead down," he said, "because there's not going to be anymore magic bailouts in Washington."
The transfer bill now heads to the state Senate, which does not return to Lansing for two weeks.
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