Rep. Calley: House approves K-12 budget, fully closes funding gap between districts

State Rep. Julie Calley and the Michigan House, in a wide bipartisan vote, approved a budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year with record-high investments in K-12 students on June 30th.

Calley, of Portland, said the plan invests more in every student while finally and fully eliminating the funding gap between districts, one of her longtime goals.

“For far too long, kids in our local school districts have gotten less funding than those in more affluent areas of the state,” Calley said. “I’ve been fighting to right this wrong since I started serving. Whether they live in a small town or a bigger city, all Michigan students deserve equal funding. This budget finally accomplishes that goal.”

The plan dedicates $17 billion to the school aid fund – up nearly 10 percent overall from the current year. All Michigan schools will receive $8,700 per student. This provides an additional $589 per student (up 7 percent) for districts currently at the minimum foundation allowance, and an additional $171 per student (up 2 percent) for schools now at the maximum guaranteed foundation allowance.

Other highlights of the plan include:

• Federal COVID relief funding with equalization payments to ensure every school gets at least $1,093 in additional funding per student.

• The Great Start Readiness Program receives an additional investment of $168 million to significantly increase the amount of funding per child while also adding thousands of new openings statewide.

• More resources are invested in special education, career and tech equipment, and many other initiatives to help give every student a better chance to thrive.

The funding measure now advances to the governor for her expected signature.