Senate Advances K-12 and Higher Education Proposal With $250 Per-Student Funding Increase

LANSING — The Michigan Senate passed a $25 billion budget proposal for K-12 schools, colleges, and universities Thursday, marking a major step in negotiations for the state's 2027 fiscal year budget.

The plan would raise per-student funding by around $250 per student and include several key provisions:

  • Continue free school meals for all students
  • Allocate $300 million toward mental health and school safety grants
  • Direct $235 million toward helping children read
  • Implement a weighted funding formula that gives more money to schools serving at-risk and bilingual students

State Senator Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) chairs the budget subcommittee that helped write the K-12 schools portion of the proposal. During a floor speech, Camilleri said the budget represents more than just numbers.

We are sending a clear message to every student, every parent, and every teacher in Michigan. We hear you and we are investing in you. This budget is not just a spreadsheet of numbers. It's a statement of values, Camilleri said.

Camilleri also highlighted a change to how the state would distribute extra school funding for at-risk students and bilingual education. Schools would receive progressively more money depending on how many at-risk students they serve.

It's a 15-year plan that will significantly, over time, start increasing the weights that we're spending for at-risk kids, Camilleri said. This is something we've done in the last three budgets anyway but this locks it into state law so that we have a plan and a pathway into getting these weights fully funded by the time we get to year 15.

A few Senate Republicans joined Senate Democrats in supporting the weighted funding plan, but the education budget bill still passed along party lines.

Republican state Senator Lana Theis (R-Brighton) serves as Camilleri's appropriations subcommittee minority vice-chair. Theis criticized the schools budget as not having enough accountability measures and not spending money wisely.

This budget hurts cyber school students by cutting funding by over $1,800 per child and excludes non-public schools from school safety and mental health funding, Theis said. Michigan has increased spending on public K-12 schools by almost 60 percent over the last decade, yet student performance continues to decline.

Democrats defend the spending as necessary to make up for years of relative disinvestment in education. Regarding cyber schools, Camilleri said they need less money to operate and shouldn't receive the same amount of funding traditional schools get.

The Senate's vision would give both Michigan State University and the University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus around one percent funding increases. By contrast, the House version would cut state operational funding to both schools each by a little over 62 percent.

The House's education spending proposal comes in around $24.1 billion. The House similarly wants a $250 per-student increase in funding but does not look for the same changes to at-risk funding that the Senate included.

In addition to the proposal for the next K-12 and higher education budget, the Senate passed a billion-dollar supplemental budget for the current fiscal year. That bill also passed along party lines.

One major point of concern for Republicans was funding for runway repairs at the Selfridge Air National Guard base in Macomb County. Many in state government see that money as key to the base's future.

Senate Democrats want to hold Selfridge hostage. But for what, you ask. In exchange for more pork-filled Democrat spending, Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Twp) said.

Democrats claim their proposal would still allow money for the base to go out as soon as possible. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) said the spending Republicans criticize would pay for key needs.

Key protections for Michigan's families' safety and health by investing in lead service line replacements as well as clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure grants, Anthony said.

This is still an early step in the budget negotiations process. Next, the Democratic-controlled state Senate will have to work out differences between its plan and ones from the governor's office and Republican-led House of Representatives.