The 2026-27 budget season officially started on Wednesday, Feb. 11, with the presentation of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s eighth and final budget recommendation to the Legislature.

MEA’s initial analysis follows—be aware that there’s more review to come, and that this is only the first step in the process. Both the Senate and House will make their own recommendations and negotiate a compromise, hopefully earlier than last year and in time for the July 1 statutory deadline.

Highlights of the Governor’s $21.4 billion education budget include:

• A 2.5% increase in the foundation allowance for K-12—an additional $250 per student, for a total of $10,300 per pupil.
• A 6% increase to at-risk funding, supporting student in poverty, English language learners, career and technical education students, and students in rural school districts.
• $200 million to continue free school meals for all 1.4 million public school students.
• $300 million to support student wellness through continuation of mental health and safety grants to districts.
• $125 million to reimburse districts for transportation costs.
• $30 million to support early learning partnerships, ensuring students and families access to high-quality early learning and updated GSRP programs statewide.
• $20 million to reimburse eligible districts for dual enrollment costs.

A major piece of the budget proposal is a $625 million investment to support student literacy and achievement, a nearly $400 million increase. Key components include:

• $50 million to continue implementing LETRS training, which trains educators in the “science of reading”—including strategies like phonics—as an instructional method for use in classrooms statewide.
• $100 million to provide grants to school districts, helping them purchase and implement high-quality literacy programs.
• $10.5 million more (a total of $52.5 million) to hire additional regional literacy coaches who assist teachers in developing and implementing instructional strategies for pupils in grades pre-K to 5.
• $7.6 million to support Literacy Essentials and comprehensive professional learning about the science of reading for educators at all grade levels.
• $100 million for high-impact tutoring to provide students with individualized, structured, evidence-based interventions, helping them catch up and get back on track.
• $181.1 million to make free pre-K for all available to an estimated 68,000 children through the Great Start Readiness program.
• $135 million to support students and parents with expanded before- and after-school programming.
• $33 million to fund regional support for families of young children and expand the Michigan Learning Channel.
• $7.6 million to support adult education.

MEA believes that exceptional educators equipped with the right training and tools will make a big difference for student literacy—so long as we stay committed over time to a consistent, rigorous approach to this critical work. Whether a student is already an excellent reader or needs additional support, MEA is committed to improving reading skills for all students. Stay tuned for more on this in the cover story of the next MEA Voice magazine, landing in homes next week.

While most of the governor’s budget recommendations are beneficial for PreK-12 students and educators, the Higher Education proposals are not as positive. The recommendation does not call for any increase for community college and university operations. There are additional investments proposed to expand post-secondary opportunities for students through programs like the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Michigan Reconnect (including lowering the qualifying age for Reconnect from 25 to 21 in order to access a tuition-free associate’s degree or skills certificate). However, those increases come from the School Aid Fund, along with continuing to increase the amount of higher education costs covered by the SAF instead of the state’s General Fund.

MEA supports efforts to move toward a P-20 education system that invests in students from early childhood through post-secondary education. However, Michigan must provide the revenue to meet student needs at every level—continuing to move higher education expenses into the SAF isn’t a tenable, long-term solution to ensuring adequate, equitable, stable education funding. Pitting PreK-12 versus Higher Education in the budget process won’t get us to a place where both are delivering a world-class public education to Michigan students.

Please stay tuned for more analysis and updates as the budget process proceeds over the coming months.  For more details, see the full budget presentation, a more detailed look at the education budget, the official budget press release, and other resources at Michigan.Gov/MiBudget