MEMORANDUM

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.