FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 9, 2026

CONTACT:  Adam Bitely
(202) 689-9266
abitely@bellwetherpr.com

Michigan’s Students Cannot Afford Another Budget Failure

LANSING, Mich. – Peter Spadafore, executive director of the Michigan Alliance for Student Opportunity (The Alliance), issued the following statement urging the Michigan Legislature to pass the FY 2027 K-12 education budget by June 30:

“The calendar is unambiguous. Michigan’s students, parents, teachers, and school districts need a budget on time, and on time means July 1 or sooner.

“Last year, lawmakers failed that test. The consequences were not abstract. School districts across the state were forced to plan, hire, and operate without knowing what state funding would look like, injecting months of uncertainty into decisions that directly affect students and classrooms. That chaos was entirely preventable, and entirely the result of the Legislature’s failure to comply with its own legal obligation. We cannot repeat that again.

“This year’s budget must deliver for students. That means an inflationary increase to the foundation allowance so schools can keep pace with rising costs. It means weighted student funding, backed by the evidence in the School Finance Research Collaborative report, so that students living in poverty, students with disabilities, and English language learners receive the resources they need. And it means adopting a weighted pupil count so funding follows students accurately and equitably.

“The urgency is compounded by a reckless proposal to eliminate property taxes, one of the foundational revenue streams that supports Michigan schools. Any scheme that diverts or eliminates that revenue is not a reform – it’s a fiscal catastrophe that would devastate school funding for years to come. Lawmakers must reject that path entirely.

“The students who need this budget the most do not have the luxury of waiting for Lansing to get its act together. Their teachers need to plan. Their parents need certainty. Their schools need to know what resources they will have when students return at the end of the summer.

“The Legislature has the time and the obligation to get this done. Pass the budget. Pass it on time. Pass it by July 1. Michigan’s students are counting on it.”

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The Michigan Alliance for Student Opportunity works to build an equitable foundation for education, where every student in Michigan, regardless of circumstance, is equipped to succeed after graduation. Learn more at mialliance.com.