MASA Executive Director Dr. Tina Kerr today released the following statement regarding the House and Senate budget bills:
“We are very pleased with the budget recommendations released by both the House School Aid and the Senate Pre-K12 Appropriation Subcommittees this week. The significant increases in the overall foundation allowance, as well as the at-risk and special education funding found in both budgets are welcomed steps to get Michigan schools fully and equitably funded. We also appreciate the funding of items that have historically been left out of previous budgets or not heavily prioritized, including universal free breakfast and lunch, school transportation, a MPSERS payroll offset, and 22d2 funding which will benefit Michigan’s smallest and most isolated districts. These are essential areas that will directly impact students across the state, and we applaud the Chairs of both Subcommittees and Subcommittee members for making them a priority.
As budget talks progress in the weeks ahead, we encourage the Legislature and Governor Whitmer to continue to work together to ensure that these resources continue to be allocated to our schools and classrooms, where they belong and are very much needed. We also strongly encourage passage of a final budget well ahead of July 1, so our schools can responsibly budget for the year ahead.”