July 1 Deal For School Budget Not Far-Fetched

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 06/25/2025) House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) told reporters Wednesday he thinks a School Aid budget, and possibly a road funding plan, can be done by July 1, exactly a week away. And he's not alone in that assessment.

The full House and Senate are not able to pass a K-12 education spending plan on Thursday

or Friday. It takes days of drafting to get a budget document ready for legislative approval.

However, standing behind the podium at one of his press conferences, Hall said he sees a lot of momentum toward getting a budget done for schools based on what he’s heard about conversations from Senate K-12 budget Chair Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) and House School Aid budget Chair Tim Kelly (R-Saginaw).

“I believe we can get a July 1 K-12 budget done. I also believe that we can get a roads deal done, or at least announced, by July 1,” Hall said.

Behind the scenes, optimism is high that officials at the higher level are getting closer to a roads funding deal than was initially thought possible. Talks are continuing. After Thursday, the Senate is not scheduled to return to session until July 15. After Thursday, the House is scheduled to return on July 1 and July 15.

Bobby Leddy, a governor's spokesperson, said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been “clear that the budget should get done by the July 1 deadline,” which will allow school districts to set their budgets.

While Whitmer is “encouraged by the progress” in discussions between Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids)and Hall, Leddy said the Governor “will continue to bring both sides together” to find common ground.

“It will be important to continue driving toward a framework for the education budget and a roads deal over the coming weeks even if final passage of the budget follows after the deadline,” Leddy told MIRS.

While Hall didn’t mention it in his remarks, one item of mutual agreement may be rolling back last year’s change to school retiree healthcare that was designed to save schools $600 million, but came at the expense of no longer keeping the pace of paying off billions in pension costs, which irked Republicans.

Democrats initially pushed for the change at the behest of school groups, who saw the change as a way to get more money into the classroom. In the end, the Democrats passed a K-12 budget nobody liked because it didn't increase the per-pupil allowance.

If a School Aid budget can’t pass by July 1, Hall said he attributes the hold up to Senate Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing)and Camilleri “focusing on lobbyists’ interests” and protecting earmarks.

Hall said he has heard that there are “hundreds of other earmarks” that aren’t in the budget that stakeholders are trying to shove into the budget.

Hall said Whitmer has been in contact with him while she’s been out of the country.

With only two scheduled session days left before summer break, Hall said if he had to, he’d add extra session days between today and July 1 and even come in on a Saturday. However, Hall said he thinks he has everything he needs to get the K-12 budget done on Friday.

Hall and Brinks met last week, a meeting Brinks called productive, but Hall did not concur with that read on their conversation. When asked why, Hall said he wouldn’t comment because some people aren’t comfortable with him commenting on the meeting.

Hall said he roped road funding into the same timeline as the School Aid budget because that would give it higher priority rather than falling into the mix with the rest of the general omnibus budget.

When asked what the summer in-district work period will look like this year, Hall said “you’ll see the House Republicans in more this summer than Senate Democrats.”