The Michigan Education Association is praising the state Senate’s 2026-27 education budget proposal, saying it prioritizes and protects students in the wake of widespread federal cuts.

“For the sake of our students and their future, state lawmakers must work together to ensure local schools have adequate, stable funding,” said MEA President and CEO Chandra Madafferi, a teacher from Oakland County. “The state Senate’s education budget does just that, by including base funding increases to address rising costs and much-needed investments in critical programs that help students and families from every corner of our state.”

The Senate’s education budget proposal would:

• Increase support for our neighborhood schools by $723 million.
• Raise the base per-pupil allowance by 2.5%, to $10,300 per student and begin phasing in a weighted formula plan.

• Provide a 25% increase in additional funding for at-risk students and English language learners.
• Set aside $150 million for educator bonuses to help keep the best and brightest working in our local schools.

• Protect students at schools experiencing declining enrollment from financial disaster by allowing those districts to use a three-year enrollment average.
• Increase transportation funding by $25 million to support students in mostly rural communities and help them get to school safely and on time.

“We look forward to working with state leaders from both sides of the aisle to pass a strong education budget that invests in Michigan’s students, educators and our hometown schools,” Madafferi said.