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