Opinion ID: 1936279
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: state control and responsibility

Text: The state clearly has responsibility for financing public school education in Michigan. The 1963 Michigan Constitution, art 8, § 2 reads: The legislature shall maintain and support a system of free public elementary and secondary schools as defined by law. Const 1963, art 8, § 2 shows that the State of Michigan through its Legislature has responsibility to maintain and support a system of free elementary and secondary schools. This Court recognized that responsibility in Lansing School Dist v State Board of Education, 367 Mich 591, 595 (1962) in the following words: Control of our public school system is a State matter delegated and lodged in the State legislature by the Constitution. The policy of the State has been to retain control of its school system, to be administered throughout the State under State laws by local State agencies organized with plenary powers to carry out the delegated functions given it by the legislature. Furthermore, public schools throughout the state are state schools and agencies of the state. We stated in MacQueen v City Commission of City of Port Huron, 194 Mich 328, 336 (1916): Fundamentally, provision for and control of our public school system is a State matter, delegated to and lodged in the State legislature by the Constitution in a separate article entirely distinct from that relating to local government. The general policy of the State has been to retain control of its school system, to be administered throughout the State under State laws by local State agencies organized with plenary powers independent of the local government with which, by location and geographical boundaries, they are necessarily closely associated and to a greater or lesser extent authorized to co-operate. Education belongs to the State. It is no part of the local self-government inherent in the township or municipality except so far as the legislature may choose to make it such. Of like import is Child Welfare Society of Flint v Kennedy School Dist, 220 Mich 290, 296 (1922) where this Court stated: The legislature has entire control over the schools of the State subject only to the provisions above referred to [i.e. state constitutional provisions]. The division of the territory of the State into districts, the conduct of the school, the qualifications of teachers, the subjects to be taught therein are all within its control. And in Collins v Detroit. 195 Mich 333, 335-336 (1917) we emphatically stated: We have repeatedly held that education in this State is not a matter of local concern, but belongs to the State at large. [2] In short, public education is a state matter and the financing of public schools is a state responsibility.