LANSING — Several hundred education union members and officials rallied in front of Lansing’s City Hall, across the street from the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday, Sept. 24, urging legislators to reach a deal on a state budget and avert a state government shutdown.
Facing a Sept. 30 deadline to pass a budget and avoid a state shutdown, the GOP-controlled state House has not reached a deal with Democrats in the Senate or Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“Educators all across our state came to the Capitol today to speak to our individual lawmakers and urge them to pass a strong education budget that invests in our students, our schools and our communities,” said Chandra Madafferi, a teacher from Oakland County and president and CEO of the Michigan Education Association. “Michigan students and families deserve an education budget that can make our state a national leader in education, talent development, job preparedness and opportunity for all.”
Budgets proposed by the Republican-led House would expand K-12 funding, but give districts more freedom in how they spend the money. The Democratic-controlled Senate and Whitmer, also a Democrat, have also proposed increases with different requirements.
Schools are three months into their fiscal year with uncertainty about what their budget ultimately will look like. It has resulted in districts taking different stances on whether, for example, to continue offering free breakfast and lunches for students, the cost of which has in previous state budgets been offset by legislative appropriations.
Allyson McCann, a paraprofessional in Grand Ledge Public Schools who works with special needs students, said lawmakers must protect state funding allocated specifically for student mental health, universal school meals, and supporting at-risk students.
“Every student, regardless of their background or challenges, deserves the opportunity to succeed,” McCann said. “That’s why it’s so important that lawmakers protect programs that help our most at-risk and vulnerable students. Our most vulnerable students are often unable to advocate for themselves, and that’s why it’s crucial for us, as educators and parents, to stand up and make our voices heard. And with one voice, we are asking state lawmakers to provide our schools with all the funding they need — so that no student in need is left to fend for themselves.”
Michigan has increased school funding in recent years, but still ranks in the bottom half of the nation in per-student funding, according to a recent report by the National Education Association. In the 2023-24 school year, Michigan public schools spent $14,489 in combined federal, state and local funding per student, the study found, compared with a national average of $16,990.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Educators rally in Lansing as Michigan government shutdown angst grows
Reporting by Lansing State Journal staff / Lansing State Journal
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