The K-12 Alliance of Michigan

Today marks the start of the new fiscal year for school districts across the state, yet school leaders are once again flying blind because the Legislature has failed to finalize a state budget.

As highlighted in The Detroit News, this isn't just a political talking point—it’s a failure that creates chaos in our local districts. School leaders are legally required to pass their local budgets by July 1. When Lansing doesn’t do its job, superintendents and school boards are forced to guess their revenue for the upcoming year.

This inaction has real, damaging consequences, including: schools can't finalize class sizes, guarantee funding for vital academic interventions, or plan for new extracurricular opportunities; and districts are severely handicapped in recruiting and retaining the highly qualified teachers and support staff our kids deserve.

Our school leaders are doing everything they can to plan a successful school year, but they are being held back by a Legislature that won't give them the basic financial information they need to operate.

Our students, educators and communities deserve better than the same old delays. It’s time for lawmakers to prioritize Michigan’s kids, pass a responsible budget, and give our schools the certainty they need to succeed.

Read more about the difficult position districts are being put in here:

Michigan's 'Groundhog Day': Schools feel impact with no state budget Last year, a state budget was not passed until Oct. 2. Michigan school superintendents are begging for history not to repeat itself.

There's less than a week for lawmakers to meet the July 1 budget deadline for schools and their delays are already impacting the ability of districts across Michigan to plan for next school year. K-12 Alliance of Michigan President and Superintendent of Garden City Public Schools Derek Fisher talked to WWJ Radio about the consequences that these ongoing legislative failures are having.

Over 60% of voters have already made it clear that they oppose handing public money over to private schools, but lawmakers just added a dangerous twist to a new school lunch bill. The Senate Education Committee advanced a plan that would take public tax dollars and send them to private schools. With the state budget deadline only 27 days away, lawmakers must make sure our public schools have the basic resources they need to open their doors to students this Fall.

There are over 1 million kindergarten through eighth grade students enrolled in Michigan schools. To support their continued growth and future achievements, their schools require adequate funding for learning material, teacher salaries and everything in between. Robert McCann, K-12 Alliance Executive Director, shares what he hopes to hear at this week's Mackinac Policy Conference during this WDIV interview.

https://bit.ly/4tRydCJ

We are calling on Governor Gretchen Whitmer to reject President Trump's Education Freedom Tax Credit program.

Make no mistake, this is a backdoor voucher scheme designed to bypass the Michigan Constitution. It threatens to drain critical federal funding from our public schools to subsidize wealthy families who already send their children to private schools.

We must protect Michigan’s public school students!

Read more about why we are fighting to stop this program: 🔗

Public school groups urge Whitmer to reject Trump school choice program That program gives up to a $1,700 tax credit to people who donate to organizations providing K-12 school scholarships. Public school advocates say it's a backdoor voucher scheme.

The future of Michigan's economy and workforce depends on how the state legislature chooses to fund and support public schools today. This op-ed from Superintendent Alan Latosz in The Detroit News highlights the urgent need for equitable resources and dedicated support for at-risk student populations. Click the link to read the full argument for prioritizing Michigan's classrooms. https://bit.ly/4w5oqvi

A coalition of organizations representing Michigan's teachers, school administrators, school board members and advocates called on Governor Gretchen Whitmer today to keep Michigan out of the federal "Education Freedom Tax Credit" program, a new voucher-like initiative that would open the door for taxpayer-supported resources to flow to private schools at the expense of the public schools that serve 1.4 million Michigan students. For more information, visit: https://bit.ly/4t91pVx

Michigan superintendents are sounding the alarm that rising costs are outpacing state aid, leaving districts with shrinking purchasing power that ultimately impacts student services.

Learn more about their budget concerns and recommendations in this MLive article: https://bit.ly/4w241aw

Schools in Michigan can’t thrive on year-to-year uncertainty. The Michigan Senate's new funding proposal represents a critical shift toward the stability our students and educators deserve.

Check out the full story behind the Senate and House budgets in this Detroit News article: https://bit.ly/4sTXImH