Gas tax shift to roads alarms Michigan educators on school funding's future

LANSING, Mich. - Republicans in Michigan have proposed a plan to fund road and bridge construction projects.

Lawmakers behind the plan say it would invest nearly $3 million additional dollars for infrastructure.

Some in the education community worry this restructuring plan will cut school funding.

Right now, schools get the sales tax on gasoline.

According to a plan laid out by some Michigan House Republicans every cent of the state's taxes at the gas pump would go to road repairs.

The union representing teachers in the state says they are concerned about that.

"We cannot support any proposal that would ultimately reduce funding for our kid's schools," says Thomas Morgan the spokesperson for the Michigan Education Association, the state's teachers union.

The union along with several education groups wrote a letter to lawmakers this week telling them they are concerned about this proposed plan.

"Education and roads are key factors in attracting new jobs and investments to Michigan, and we believe strongly that we should be doing both, and doing them both very well. Any solution, however, that cuts funding from our kids schools. We simply can't support," says Morgan.

Michigan schools get more than $650 million from the gas tax.

"That money goes toward basic needs. It goes toward our kids, and teachers. It goes toward toward safety. It goes toward books, all the things that go into helping kids learn that funding is critical, especially true for students in rural districts and urban districts," he says.

Republican House Speaker-Elect Matt Hall says this isn’t about cutting funding from schools.

“We’ll engage with the governor We’ll engage with Tate and Brinks, and we will figure out exactly which one of those options would backfill schools but I’m telling you both in the press release and now schools will be made whole." says Hall.

Several education groups in Michigan are urging lawmakers to have a plan in place to invest in education and also road repairs before they make any changes.

“I’m hopeful they’ll embrace our plan and their criticism will hopefully help us come up with something really good for the people," says Hall.

"If you're taking money from one area to give it to road funding, then you have to cut something else, whether it be our kids schools, whether it be public safety, there's just no way to really make it work," says Morgan.

Hall says they aren’t looking to divest from schools but it’s not clear on how they will replace the dollars if they take the sales tax from gasoline sales to fully fund the roads.