House Dems release school aid budget plans as GOP tees up surprise appropriations meeting
Michigan House appropriators responsible for the state's school aid fund will meet early Wednesday morning for a meeting announced late Tuesday afternoon – which could signal some progress on the Republican-controlled chamber's side of the budget.
Meanwhile, House Democrats on Tuesday afternoon held a news conference unveiling their plans for the school aid budget to fund Michigan's public schools. The move was billed as action in light of inaction from their Republican counterparts.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid and Department of Education, chaired by Rep. Tim Kelly (R-Saginaw Township), released a committee notice for its Wednesday morning meeting at around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, which one Michigan Capitol news reporter noted landed about 30 minutes before House Democrats introduced their plan. The notice has no agenda items listed for the meeting scheduled at 8:40 a.m.
Although Democrats do not control the appropriations process in the House, that didn't stop the caucus from unveiling its plans for the school aid fund on Tuesday.
The plan would continue to fund ongoing investment priorities, like universal school meals, special education, funding for at-risk students, mental health and school safety and school district transportation costs. The Great Start Readiness program would be a priority, as well as funding for isolated or rural school districts, bilingual education, career and technical education and Early On programming.
A per-pupil funding increase would also be a part of any Democratic school funding plan advanced to their Republican colleagues.
State Rep. Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn) said reports of Michigan's struggling students and schools means that the state, now more than ever, needs a clear and sustained plan for public education.
'Not only are we proposing a $24 billion top-line proposal funding school aid, but we are also increasing the per-pupil allotment to $11,500,' Farhat said Tuesday. 'We're calling on our Republican colleagues to also join us in codifying the categoricals that mean most to our districts. That means at-risk funding, that means school lunch, and that means the hard-fought wins we delivered for parents and teachers over the last two years.'
Aside from the per-pupil funding, Farhat said Democrats are proposing $500 million in classroom size reduction efforts, $300 million for literacy interventions, another $300 million for mental health and over $1 billion in school infrastructure grants.
Farhat said Democrats' plan would prioritize those items all without raiding school lunches or at risk funding.
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