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By DIANA DILLABER MURRAY
Of The Oakland Press

Parents and educators from around Oakland County joined hundreds from around the state on the steps of the state Capitol to protest cuts to their children's schools Tuesday.

Pontiac school Trustee Christopher Northcross traveled with a 21-member contingency. The group of Pontiac district residents dropped off a resolution from the Pontiac Board of Education at the offices of state Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, and state Rep. Tim Melton, D-Auburn Hills, after the rally.

The groups of students, parents and school officials from around the state rallied under the umbrella of SOS Save Our Students, Schools and State. They wanted to take their message directly to lawmakers.

"There was a nice turnout from a number of school districts," said Northcross. "Rep. Melton brought us in and talked to us for about 35 minutes."

Melton explained the problems of state revenue and discussed some options of funding that might work better for schools.

"We think it was valuable that we came up," said Northcross.

Trustee Alma Bradley-Pettress, District 3 councilwoman-elect Mary Pietila, and Lisa Swanzey, who represents the custodial union, were among the others that joined Pontiac parents in Lansing.

"Our message is restore the cuts now and develop a new more equitable funding system for K-12 education in Michigan," said Brenda Causey-Mitchell, Title 1 parent liaison.

The Pontiac board approved the resolution directed to lawmakers Monday night, just in time to be carried to Lansing Tuesday. It encourages the governor and Legislature to "immediately find the revenues necessary to reduce the cuts to the education budget to meet their Constitutional responsibility to the children of this state."

The resolution also stated, "Education is the cornerstone of a successful economic turnaround and investment in education is the key to a new Michigan."

Some students also called on the Legislature to avoid state budget cuts that could trim school programs across the state.

"We want to show them it's hurting us more than they think it is," said Zane Thomas, 17, a student at Thurston High School in Redford near Detroit. "I don't think they understand how deep these cuts really are."

Thomas said he is worried about potential cuts to drama, choir, band and freshmen athletics programs.

School funding for all districts will be cut by $127 per student in December - a total of about $212 million - unless state lawmakers agree this month to raise taxes or set aside more revenue for education. The cut would come on top of a budget bill signed into law last month that slashes school funding by the equivalent of $165 per student.

Schools that got last year's minimum of $7,316 per student faces combined cuts of $292 per student, or about 4 percent.

Several districts in Oakland County, such as Farmington Hills, Bloomfield and Walled Lake, are also among the 39 so-called '20J' wealthy districts that face an additional $52 million in cuts starting with payments later this month.

Those districts - some of which now get more than $11,000 per student - could face combined cuts of close to $600 per student compared to last year's funding levels.

That's why Walled Lake parents were among the groups in Lansing.

"We've been hit with three legislative cuts that add up to $9.1 million, or $583 per pupil," said Judy Evola, spokeswoman for the Walled Lake district. "That will virtually eliminate our fund balance and cause massive cuts in the 2010-2011 school year."

Northcross urged people to contact their legislators even if they didn't go to Lansing Tuesday, because "the cuts will take effect unless the Legislature steps up and comes up with a way to fund education.

"If we as folks who are supposed to watch out for kids say nothing, (the additional cuts) will go quietly into effect."

A bill passed in the House last week to use more federal stimulus money to reduce the amount of the cuts has run into opposition in the Republicanled Senate.

Bishop said the House proposal to use up federal stimulus money would create a "gigantic" hole in next year's state budget.

"We're not going to do that. We're not going to borrow today and have to resolve this in the future."

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact staff writer Diana Dillaber Murray at (248) 745-4638 or e-mail diana.