ALPENA — Northeast Michigan superintendents are hopeful money lost through Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s veto pen will return to the schools before the end of the year.

A supplemental bill to restore some of the vetoed school funds, sponsored by state Sen. Jim Stamas, R-Midland, passed the Senate on Wednesday. The bill would amend the state’s School Aid Fund to increase funding by $70.5 million.

Stamas’ bill, part of a number of bills passed this week to restore funding throughout the state budget, is now waiting for the state House’s approval before going to Whitmer for her signature.

Whitmer, a Democrat, vetoed nearly $1 billion from the 2020 budget the Republican-controlled Legislature sent her, calling the budget “a mess” and saying much of it was unenforceable. She and lawmakers have butted heads over the budget all year over lawmakers’ opposition to her plan to increase gas taxes by 45 cents per gallon to fund road repairs.

Alpena Public Schools Superintendent John VanWagoner said Thursday the district suffered about $480,000 in cuts from the vetoes.

If that money is restored, VanWagoner said the district would get about $188,000 from the state for being an isolated or rural district, which are districts with fewer than six students per square mile. About $7 million for isolated or rural districts would be restored if Stamas’ bill is passed.

“It’s great to have that categorical back, (because) all dollars matter,” he said.

Carl Seiter, superintendent of Hillman Community Schools and Atlanta Community Schools, said both districts were on the verge of losing several thousand dollars in funding for being isolated and rural districts.

The bill would restore $10 million for school safety grants, but Alpena, Alcona Community Schools, and the Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District already received such grants in recent years, so the likelihood of those districts receiving the grants again is slim.

“I don’t know if any of us will have a chance,” VanWagoner said.

Though superintendents welcomed the pending state budget deal, it would not restore all of the school dollars Whitmer vetoed, and they said the Legislature needs to restore more funding.

Seiter said a concern for Hillman and Atlanta is the School Success Program, which is not a part of the supplemental bill. He hopes the overall budget deal reinstates those funds to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

“I am hopeful that there is no last-minute collapse of the deal just prior to their legislative break,” Seiter said.

Lawmakers plan to be done for the year on Dec. 19.

VanWagoner said APS is at risk of losing a school success worker at Alternative Choices for Educational Success Academy unless more funding is approved. He’s said that’s needed at the school.

“I was shocked to not see that,” he said.

Julie Goldberg can be reached at 989-358-5688 or jgoldberg@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jkgoldberg12.