Lansing Sun

Michigan lawmakers have approved a new K-12 education budget that allocates the highest per-pupil foundation allowance in state history, according to State Representative Tim Kelly, chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid and the Department of Education. The allowance is set at $10,050 per student, representing a $442 increase after no increase was provided last year. For the first time, cyber charter schools will receive funding equal to that of traditional public schools.

“This is not just a number in a budget book,” Kelly said. “It is teachers supported in their work, textbooks in the hands of students, meals for children who arrive hungry, buses to carry them to class, and tutors to help them succeed. It is Michigan investing in its children.”

The budget also includes $321 million for safety and mental health support through per-pupil safety and counseling grants, new school resource officers, and additional mental health professionals.

“A child cannot learn if they do not feel safe, and they cannot thrive if they suffer in silence,” Kelly said. “This investment ensures stability and protection are treated as the foundation of learning.”

Other elements of the plan include an increase in at-risk funding by 25% to nearly $1.3 billion; $65 million for small class size initiatives targeting early grades; $70 million for “grow-your-own” teacher programs; $100 million dedicated to school infrastructure grants; and $70 million aimed at expanding career and technical education opportunities in underserved regions.

Reforms accompanying the funding package focus on increasing transparency, limiting virtual school days, and directing more resources into classrooms rather than administrative costs.

“Michigan ranks near the bottom nationally in reading, math, and graduation rates,” Kelly said. “This budget begins to turn that tide. It demands accountability while delivering the tools our schools need to succeed.”

Kelly noted that negotiating this agreement was challenging but necessary.

“Reaching this agreement required persistence and resolve, but the result is stronger because of it,” Kelly said. “We cut waste, redirected dollars into classrooms, and spared families from the tax hikes Democrats demanded. The future of Michigan depends on what happens inside our schools, and this budget makes clear that we will no longer accept mediocrity. We are demanding excellence for every child.”