ADRIAN — The Michigan House of Representatives passed its version of the school aid budget last week, proposing a $12,000 per-student foundation allowance and expanded flexibility for local districts to allocate funding based on their own needs.
State Representative Nancy Jenkins-Arno stated that the proposal is part of ongoing negotiations between the House, the Senate, and the Governor’s office. While the full state budget is due by October 1, school districts must finalize their budgets by July 1. The early House plan is designed to provide districts with reliable figures to work with during their planning process.
Under the House proposal, the per-student foundation allowance would increase by $2,000 to a total of $12,000. The plan also removes many earmarks and spending restrictions that previously required districts to allocate funds to specific uses, such as transportation or school meals. Jenkins-Arno said the intent is to give schools more control over their budgets, allowing them to respond to local needs more effectively. She noted that current education funding strategies have not yielded strong academic results, and this approach aims to enable more adaptive, district-level decision-making without eliminating funding for any category.
Final budget negotiations will continue over the summer. The House version is one of several working drafts under consideration.
Jenkins-Arno said the House approach is aimed at improving academic outcomes by removing rigid funding requirements. A finalized version of the school aid budget will be negotiated with the Senate and the Governor in the coming months.