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Rep. Hall fighting for record funding for students with advancing budget plans
RELEASE|June 25, 2021
Contact: Matt Hall

Proposals also provide stability for essential services at local level

State Rep. Matt Hall is working to secure record-high investments for K-12 students in Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties, voting to approve a budget plan today for the upcoming fiscal year.

The Michigan House’s school aid plan ensures equitable per-student foundation funding across Michigan while providing a record-high $16.7 billion for the school aid fund. This total is up nearly 8 percent overall from the current year, which allows for the closing of the per-student foundation funding gap.

All districts would get $8,700 per student in the foundation allowance, which for most districts equates to a 7-percent increase. All districts would get at least 2 percent more.

Hall said the advancement of the budget plan allow schools, students and families to come closer to finality for the upcoming fiscal year by working to set funding by July 1 – a previously established benchmark for budget planning.

“Kids have been learning remotely and outside the classroom due to COVID-19 and executive orders in response over the past year. I have heard many stories from people who feel their children have missed valuable time inside of an environment that is conducive to learning,” Hall said. “It’s important to make this commitment to them and ensure they have the resources they need to not only bounce back, but flourish.”

Features 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. More than $4 billion in federal COVID relief for schools was approved overall today, in addition to the money in the regular school aid fund for next fiscal year.
  • The Great Start Readiness Program receiving an additional investment of $168 million to significantly increase the amount of funding per child while also allowing thousands more kids to participate in the program.
  • More resources invested in special education, career and tech equipment, and many other initiatives to help give every student a better chance to thrive. A one-time $560 million investment into the school retirement system will help ensure promised benefits get paid while freeing up money for the classroom in future years.

The plan addresses K-12 funding. The budget for community colleges and universities will be addressed in a future measure.

The state’s general fund will be roughly the same size as in the current budget year with adjustments mainly to reflect caseload changes and other economic factors – enabling strong support for public health, public safety and other critical initiatives. A 2-percent increase in statutory revenue sharing will help local governments maintain essential services. Hall also underscored additional resources that will be made available for foster care, direct care workers, dam safety and many other important functions.

The legislation now advances to the Senate for further consideration.

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