06/15/2026
To: Honorable Members of the Michigan Senate and Michigan House of Representatives
From: MI Assoc of School Boards MI School Business Officials
MI Assoc of Secondary School Principals K-12 Alliance of MI
MI Assoc of Superintendents & Administrators Calhoun ISD
MI Alliance for Student Opportunity Genesee ISD
MI Assoc of Intermediate School Administrators School Equity
MI Assoc of Administrators of Special Education
MI Assoc of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Capital Area Regional Education Strategy
Education Advocates of West MI
RE: Finish the School Aid Budget by July 1
Date: June 15, 2026
With only two weeks remaining in this fiscal year for our schools, the organizations representing public education implore you to give Michigan schools the stability and certainty they need and pass the School Aid budget. The state’s long delay last year forced districts to make critical staffing and programming decisions based on speculation rather than certainty. Policymakers must complete a responsible School Aid budget that meets the needs of Michigan’s students by the July 1 statutory deadline.
The priorities that define success have been clear throughout this budget cycle. Michigan's education community will judge the final product by a few simple measures:
• Inflationary Increase in Foundation Funding. School districts cannot afford to fall behind inflation with rising costs for personnel, transportation, utilities, insurance, and student services.
• Implement True Weighted Funding. Additional resources should follow students who require additional support, including students living in poverty and English learners.
• Stabilize District Budgets. With steep enrollment declines driving significant funding losses in many school districts, an averaged weighted pupil count should be adopted, like those used in other states, to provide greater stability in district budgets.
• Protect School Funding. The final budget agreement must not erode school revenue, and dollars intended for K-12 students should remain in K-12 education.
• Fix School Safety and Mental Health Funding. Giving students access to school safety and mental health funding should not require districts to waive constitutional protections or assume additional liability.
Each of these priorities is reflected in one or more of the budget proposals currently under consideration. The framework for a responsible School Aid fund budget already exists, there is no excuse to delay bringing these ideas together into a final agreement.
Finally, we also urge focus to remain on passing a responsible, balanced budget. This is not the time to begin discussions on major reforms. Significant property tax changes or other structural changes deserve a thorough debate, separate from the budget.
Michigan schools, educators, students, and families should not spend another summer waiting for answers. The priorities are known and the need is clear. Lawmakers must come together to finish the School Aid Fund budget and deliver certainty for schools before July 1.
