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Stateside for Monday, May 20th, 2013

For the first time in two weeks, teachers are back in the business of teaching and students are back in the business of learning in the Buena Vista school district near Saginaw.

That's after the district had to close school doors because it couldn't meet payroll. On today's show: just how bad are finances for school districts across the state? Could your district be next?

Michelle Richard, a senior consultant at Public Sector Consultants in Lansing, and Eric Scorsone, an economist at Michigan State University, talked with us about Michigan school finances and whether consolidation is a viable solution.

And, Buena Vista’s high school men’s basketball coach spoke about how the school is doing now that it has reopened.

Also, May is the height of birding season. Teresa Duran, the publisher of the National Conservancy Magazine, explained the importance of land conservation for keeping bird populations up in Michigan.

But, first, Sunday mornings to many of us means a full cup of coffee and our Sunday paper. And there certainly has been no shortage of dire and ominous headlines with that Sunday morning coffee.

The Detroit Free Press has launched a new effort. It's called "A Better Michigan" and it will seek the answers to the question ‘What will it take to build a better Michigan?’

We here at Michigan Radio and on Stateside are very proud to be partnering in this effort with the Detroit Free Press.

The editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press, Stephen Henderson joined us today to discuss the issue.

Stateside is produced daily by a dedicated group of producers and production assistants. Listen daily, on-air, at 3 and 8 p.m., or subscribe to the daily podcast wherever you like to listen.