LANSING (WWJ/AP) - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proposed a $61.9 billion state budget, including what she says would be the biggest increase for Michigan classroom operations in 20 years.
The plan unveiled Thursday would boost overall spending by 3.9%. The Democrat proposes increasing base per-student funding by $225, or 2.8%, for most schools. She also proposes a $60 million boost for special education and a $60 million increase for academically at-risk and economically disadvantaged students.
“Gov. Whitmer’s 2020-2021 budget proposal takes significant steps toward a weighted school funding formula as recommended in the School Finance Research Collaborative report, including additional funding for special education services, at-risk students, students living in poverty and English Language Learners," said School Finance Research Collaborative Project Director Robert McCann. "We applaud the governor for her continued support for a new, fairer school funding approach that helps all students succeed, whether they are bound for college, technical school, skilled trades careers or jobs right after high school."
State Budget Director Chris Kolb called Whitmer's budget recommendation "strong," with some key investments in needed area.
“There’s more work to do to address the large structural problems and we have to change the mentality that led to hundreds of millions in spending on the last day of a lame duck legislature," Kolb said. "This budget was put together to reflect the governor’s priorities around education, health care, and the environment, but past decisions from Republican-controlled legislatures have severely hampered our ability to invest more broadly in things that matter to the people of Michigan.”
So what do state Republicans think?
Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield said, in a statement, that he looks forward to working with Whitmer on the priorities her team laid out, however: "There are some areas where we will have to improve upon her agenda, where she continued to pick winners and losers with schoolchildren and rural Michigan families. But there are also many areas where we all agree and can work together to get things done for the people we serve, including fixing our crumbling roads and the help for shoreline erosion we requested."
He added, "Our budget committee will now go through her proposal line by line to vet her suggestions and build the best possible plan for the people of this state. With a willing partner, we will pass a strong plan that keeps Michigan on the comeback path for years to come."
Also among those reacting Thursday was the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “If there ever was a moment for our elected leaders to come together, it’s amid constant headlines about toxic chemicals in our drinking water, contaminated sites polluting our lakes and rivers, and the impacts of extreme weather events from climate change. We need bold action from our governor and Legislature to tackle these issues head-on,” said Lisa Wozniak, executive director of the group.
“Governor Whitmer’s budget prepares our state for the effects of a rapidly-changing climate and makes cleaning up contaminated sites and protecting our drinking water top priorities. Safe, clean water is not a partisan issue. This is a Michigan challenge that we must face together.”
Copies and more details of the governor’s recommended budget are available at www.michigan.gov/budget.