Bridgman Public Schools Warn Of Fiscal Cliff Cuts

Bridgman Public Schools are calling on Congress and the White House to get the fiscal cliff matter settled quickly. Superintendent Shane Peters warns if the spending cuts happen as promised, schools nationwide will lose $1.2 trillion dollars in the 2013-14 school year. He says that will result in teachers being laid off, larger class sizes, shorter school weeks, cuts to extracurricular programs and more. Peters adds his district has cut as far as it can given the financial problems of the state of Michigan in the past few years, and the fiscal cliff cuts represent over 8% of the district's budget. Programs such as Title I grants for disadvantaged students, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, Career and Technical Education, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers are among the cuts. The school board in Bridgman has passed a resolution calling for action.