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‘Frightening:’ Budget veto has big impact for UP school

Posted at 3:22 PM, Oct 04, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-04 15:22:52-04

GRAND MARIAS, Mich. (AP) — A tiny school district in the Upper Peninsula says its future could be in jeopardy if one of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s budget cuts isn’t restored.

The superintendent of Burt Township schools says the district lost more than $220,000 with Whitmer’s veto of a special fund for small, remote schools. That’s about a quarter of the district’s budget.

Greg Nyen tells TV station WLUC that the district would be forced to spend its entire fund balance to get through the school year. He says grades seven through 12 could be eliminated by next fall if money isn’t restored. The district has 31 students in one building

Longtime teacher Dixie McCormick says the actions in Lansing are “really frightening” for the Grand Marias community, along the shore of Lake Superior.