Lawmakers came together this month to pass an education budget that provides needed investments for students and educators. After months of delays and missed deadlines, the budget provides positive improvements for our schools in some areas while falling short in others.

A $10,050 foundation grant. Continued student mental health support and free school meals.  A 25% funding boost for at-risk students in lower-income rural and urban school districts.  $203 million to directly improve school employee pay, in light of raises being consumed by increased out-of-pocket health insurance costs.

All these investments and more will help Michigan students succeed, as well as the educators who work with them every day.

The budget contains significant flaws, however. State support for district retirement payments has been reduced, and $400 million in higher education costs have been shifted onto the School Aid Fund to free up General Fund dollars for road projects.

This practice forces PreK–12 and higher education to compete for the same limited resources, an approach that undermines both sectors – and fails to provide a sustainable path for preparing students for post-secondary opportunities and long-term economic success.

Addressing Michigan’s outdated school funding structure under Proposal A is long overdue and necessary to prevent these kinds of harmful trade-offs and ensure adequate, equitable and stable funding for the future.

Now that this year’s budget is finalized, we urge state leaders to keep working to address some of the other emergent issues affecting schools throughout Michigan. Limiting student cell phone use during instructional time. Addressing growing issues with violent and threatening student behaviors. Providing flexibility to the high school curriculum to better meet individual student needs.

For the sake of every Michigan student, we urge lawmakers to rise above partisan politics and keep working together on real solutions to the challenges facing Michigan’s public schools.

In Solidarity Always,

Chandra Madafferi, MEA President and CEO

Brett Smith, MEA Vice President

Aaron Eling, MEA Secretary-Treasurer