LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s top education leaders are once again urging state lawmakers to fulfill their most basic responsibility: passing a school budget. Peter Spadafore of the Michigan Alliance for Student Opportunity, Dr. Tina Kerr of the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators, Don Wotruba, CAE, of the Michigan Association of School Boards, and Dr. John Severson of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators released the following statement calling on the House and Senate to stop delaying, meet their obligation, and deliver the funding and stability students, families, and educators need before the start of the new school year:

"For school district leaders, responsibly managing budgets, hiring staff, and preparing for the new year is the core of the work we do on behalf of students and families. To suggest otherwise is not only offensive, it’s wrong — and it distracts from the real issue: the Legislature has already broken the law by missing the July 1 statutory deadline and still has not passed a School Aid Fund budget.

"Many districts have already started the school year with the rest shortly behind them. Superintendents cannot simply assume that funding will 'work itself out.' Different positions and programs — from literacy coaches to school safety to universal meals — depend on specific budget lines. Without certainty, leaders are left with no choice but to make tough, often painful decisions now to protect their districts’ long-term stability. It’s difficult to take assurances at face value when the Legislature has already failed to meet its statutory obligation.

"District leaders have done their part. They are working hard, planning responsibly, and putting students first. It’s time for the Legislature to do the same. Every day that passes without a budget not only deepens disruption and uncertainty for Michigan schools, it underscores that the legal deadline has come and gone without action. Our students cannot afford further delay. Educators are not engaging in theatrics. They are managing real classrooms, real staff, and real students who depend on stability. A performative press conference will not educate a single child, but a fully funded state budget will. We need a budget that invests in schools, supports our most vulnerable learners, and is sustainable, and we need it now. We invite Lansing decision makers to visit our schools to see firsthand the commitment and passion educators and communities have for children and the impact of their inaction. Most importantly, our kids deserve more than just promises; they deserve a budget that reflects their value."