Schools Want Budget; It's Not First Priority

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 06/06/2025) A joint statement from 17 education organizations on Friday calls for the Legislature, but more specifically the House, to pass a budget by the July 1 statutory deadline so that schools can set their budgets accordingly.

The statement says that since the fiscal year for schools ends on June 30, school boards will be finalizing their own budgets this month, but they don’t have final state numbers to work off of.

“They are being forced to do so without a clear indication from the state on what the per-pupil foundation allowance may be nor funding for our most vulnerable students,” the statement said. “Uncertainty about funding levels leaves critical questions about staffing, programming, reading and tutoring supports, and basic student services unresolved.”

Yesterday, the House introduced 20 appropriations shell bills that will be altered once budget decisions are made. One of them was House K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Tim Kelly (R-Saginaw)'s HB 4577 .

House Republican Communications Director Gideon D’Assandro said the bills being introduced are not an indication of when they will start moving or when the budget will be ready.

D’Assandro said introducing the shell bills is just a process box that needs to be checked so that they’ll be there when it’s time to move them.

He also said that the K-12 budget isn’t first in line to be completed when those process boxes are being checked.

The Senate moved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget plan in April.

The organizations that signed onto the statement include: Michigan Education Association, Michigan Association of School Boards, Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators, Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals, Michigan Alliance for Student Opportunity, Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators, AFT Michigan, Michigan Elementary & Middle School Principals Association, Michigan Association of Administrators of Special Education, School Education Advocates of West Michigan, K-12 Alliance of Michigan, School Equity, Oakland Schools, Wayne RESA, Macomb ISD, Calhoun ISD and Genesse ISD.