LANSING – All Michigan school districts would receive a one-time payment of $154 per pupil, plus an additional $23 to $46 per pupil depending on their current funding level under a bill that cleared the Legislature on Wednesday that spends the $316 million in federal money designed to preserve public school employee jobs.

The bill (HB 5872 ) first replaces, for the 2010-11 fiscal year only, the $154 per pupil cut that all districts received for the 2009-10 fiscal year.

Then districts that receive $8,489 per pupil or more would get another $23 per pupil. Districts receiving the minimum foundation grant once the added $154 is included, $7,316, would get another $46 per pupil. Those receiving a per pupil amount between those numbers would get an amount between $24-45 per pupil.

“I believe it’s important that every single school in the district get $154 back,” said Sen. John Pappageorge (R-Troy), who sponsored the formula.

The proposal also contains $4.5 million for intermediate school districts instead of the $16 million that passed the House.

Pappageorge’s proposal won out over a competing one from Sen. Ron Jelinek (R-Three Oaks), the Senate Appropriations Committee chair. Jelinek’s proposal called for higher-funded districts to receive as little as $110 per pupil and lower-funded districts to get as much as $220 per pupil. That meant some districts would not get their full $154 cut restored for the upcoming fiscal year.

Senators’ and Senate staffers’ eyes focused intently on the voting board as voting commenced on Jelinek’s proposal, which failed on an unrecorded vote of 19-18, one vote short of adoption. Then Pappageorge’s proposal was adopted on a 25-13 vote with the full bill passing 29-9.

“For many, many years, many of our schools at the lower end of per pupil funding have done without,” said Sen. Valde Garcia (R-Howell), explaining his opposition to Pappageorge’s proposal.

The House gave the bill final approval on a 104-1 vote.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) urged caution with the money.

“Every school district around the state has got to recognize that this is one-time money, and they cannot rely on it in the future,” he said.

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