Kazoo
Promise Goes Statewide
The chair of the House Education Committee wants to replicate the
so-called Kalamazoo Promise by creating local promise committees and funding
them in part with state education dollars.
Rep. Tim MELTON
(D-Auburn Hills) looks at the highly successful guaranteed college tuition
program for school kids in Kalamazoo and wants to do the same thing in 41 other Michigan
counties.
Melton's legislation would allow "any urban or rural school district with
students 18 and younger who are under the poverty level" to establish
their own authority to encourage students to attend college.
Each authority would establish its own ground rules including where the
students could go to college and whether they have to stay in Michigan.
Once the by-laws are in place, each entity would have two years to raise the
capital to fund the program at which point the state would step in with its
part of the agreement.
Using the SET, or State Education Tax with $13 billion in its coffers, Melton
says local authorities could get half of the growth revenue in that fund to
apply to the tuition grants. Each district's SET would grow at different levels
depending on economic growth in that county.
"The idea is to change the mindset of students who might not think they
can go to college," Melton explains. This assistance is targeted at about
11 percent of the students who live in disadvantaged districts.
While the Kalamazoo program was fully funded by a local donor, Melton says other
districts can use that approach or other means to raise the capitol to get the
program off the ground.
The real estate and business climate in Kazoo is booming thanks to the free
college program. Melton figures and hopes if it can happen there, why not in Detroit, Pontiac, Bay City, Saginaw and
other needy portions of the state.
(Contributed by Senior Capital Correspondent
Tim SKUBICK