The House and Senate both met on Tuesday, July 8, with the rumor that they were getting close to an agreement on the School Aid Budget.  But as the day dragged on, there did not appear to be any progress. In the late afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) told reporters, “There is 100% certainty” there will not be a negotiated budget on Tuesday, and the Senate adjourned at 5:00 p.m. The House remained in session until 9:15 p.m. and adjourned after voting on a few unrelated bills.

Once more, we joined with our fellow education organizations to continue to publicly stress the importance of a good budget in a timely manner. The legislature is required by law to pass and send a budget to the Governor by July 1, but it failed to meet its legal obligation. Yet again, Michigan’s schools are left to face the consequences rather than the Legislature and Governor being held accountable.

We have been pushing all month for something to get done in a responsible manner and are frustrated that the School Aid budget seems to be caught up in negotiations that have nothing to do with the classroom or student achievement. We continue to worry that School Aid dollars are being looked at for use for noneducational purposes and urge the finalization of the budget immediately to safeguard it from further erosion. The School Aid Fund exists to support K-12 students and Michigan’s public education system – not to subsidize general fund budget shortfalls or backfill tax cuts.

On Wednesday, July 2, MASB and MSBO held a Views From the Capitol – Legislative and Budget Update webinar. We talked about the status of the budgets, the rumors we have heard, and answered questions from the attendees. If you missed it, you can now view it on our website.

Both the House and Senate adjourned on July 8 until July 15. The House is scheduled for July 15, 22-24, and 29. The Senate is scheduled for July 15-17, 22, and 29. We are assured that budget negotiations will continue with or without session. 

We urge you to continue to talk with your elected officials and stress the need for a complete and responsible school budget, and for it to be done without using School Aid dollars for non-education purposes. Our students and schools are not a tool or bargaining chip to be leveraged during General Fund budget negotiations.