Picture two school districts in Michigan, both in a mostly rural area, with the same number of students. One district has a taxable value in their community of nearly $1.5 billion, meaning one-mill of taxation for their district would generate nearly $1.5 million annually for school repairs and renovations. The second district’s taxable value is around $140 million, meaning that same one-mill tax will generate only $140,000 annually. To the local taxpayer one-mill is still $1 per $1000 value of their property, but for the school system there is a big difference in the amount of funding available.
“Michigan is one of only 13 states that does not offer state appropriations to local school districts for construction of school buildings.” 1
It has been 30 years since Proposal A became law in Michigan (1994) in an attempt to provide equitable funding for all K-12 school districts. Although it took most of those 30 years to overcome the funding gap, that mission of an equal base foundation grant for all students, regardless of their zip code, has been mostly realized. That gap was filled by providing those schools at the lowest end of the foundation additional funding each year until that gap was closed.
Now, one of the biggest remaining challenges when it comes to equitable funding for Michigan schools lies in its infrastructure. School facilities in Michigan remain funded primarily by the communities they reside in. School districts rely on their voters to support a tax (bond/sinking fund) to update, renovate, or build new schools.
Unfortunately the taxable values of properties within each district varies greatly, meaning the amount of funding that can be raised through school bond proposals is far from equitable, much like it was in Michigan for school operations prior to Proposal A.
Governor Whitmer’s plan to provide $1 billion towards school infrastructure projects could help fill that void in the future for those districts with low taxable values in their communities. The Statewide School Infrastructure Study has started the process to provide financial analysis and planning for the State of Michigan, but these initial assessments are high-level and focus only on the health, safety, and wellness conditions of these facilities. They are not meant to identify or correct any issues or deficiencies in any district facility regarding space, health, or code compliance.
In my travels around the state as an educational consultant over the past two years with SitelogIQ, in addition to my 30+ years as a teacher and administrator in several districts, the disparities among school facilities and the needs are alarming. Those communities that have higher taxable values, and primarily wealthy and upper-middle class
residents, may be more likely to pass referendums and provide top-notch facilities for their children. Those communities with higher free and reduced lunch populations struggle to maintain and provide adequate learning spaces. Newer or recently renovated buildings improve both student health and learning.
As the Statewide School Infrastructure Study concludes over the next year it will be important for our legislators to understand this dynamic, from a bipartisan perspective, and develop a long-term solution for these alarming disparities. Much like the funding gap for the student foundation grant in Michigan has closed, we must do the same for
our communities and their school facilities. Students, regardless of their zip code, deserve to attend school in buildings that are safe, warm, dry, and conducive for 21st century learning. While it will most likely again take many years to close this gap in equitable school infrastructure needs, we must utilize the $1 billion the governor has set aside to provide additional resources for those communities that are unable to generate the funding on their own, and plan for closing this gap permanently.
1 - https://www.ecs.org/50-state-comparison-k-12-school-construction-funding-2023/
