LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan officially had its largest K-12 school budget signed for the 2024 fiscal year allocating roughly $24 billion towards improving many facets of education in the state. 

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Several leading educators and policymakers have praised the efforts to raise per-pupil funding, categorical funding, and early childhood education. 

“In the 30 years since Proposal A to change the school funding system, Michigan hasn’t had two years of back-to-back funding increases close to FY23 and FY24,” State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice said. 

In addition to the roughly $460 per pupil increase raising the state’s foundation allowance to $9,608 per pupil and large percentage increase for students with disabilities, and multiple other categories of students.  A breakdown of the budget includes some of the highlights: 

  • $611 million to increase per-pupil funding by 5%, an additional $458 per student, for a total of $9,608 per-pupil.
  • $450 million deposit into a new rainy day fund for schools.
  • $370 million to support teachers.
  • Fellowship to retain and develop existing teachers through mentoring programs.
  • $328 million for mental health and school safety.
  • $254.6 million to expand free pre-K for up to 5,600 kids.
  • $204.5 million increase in funding for academically at-risk, economically disadvantaged students.

Early Childhood Education Advocate and Child Care Center Owner, Kirsten Charnesky, voiced her majority support for the new budget. 

“There are a lot of things moving towards Universal Pre-K but in a way that the Governor’s Office is doing a listening tour right now, and that is in my opinion a very good way to hear from providers and hear from families to hear what will work for everyone,” Charnesky said in an interview with Michigan News Source. 

She also serves as the Chair of the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children Advocacy (AEYC) Committee, and did remark how one area did not gain as much attention early childhood education professionals had hoped for. 

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“One area of disappointment that was not included in the Governor’s budget, was the inclusion of the tax credits for early childhood educators,” Charnesky said during the interview. “That was something that would have been a step towards pay equity for early childhood professionals, and it was originally included in the Governor’s proposed budget.” 

The proposed tax credits would have equitably given more pay to all early childhood providers across the state regardless of what type of setting they were in according to Charnesky. 

“We certainly need to support families, we certainly need to support children and providers, but the missing piece here is how are we supporting our existing educators, and really what it comes down to is pay,” she added, “We can’t afford to keep people if we can’t pay them and that tax credit was proposed to be a step in that direction.” 

She and other early childhood educators were excited by the announcement of the new Michigan Department of Lifelong Education (MiLEAP) which is tasked with improving outcomes for students from preschool through postsecondary education; though they were surprised by the announcement. 

“My committee and I just met last week about this and this has been a big discussion point; what we kind of came out with was we’re not really sure how this is going to transpire but we are thinking positive things about it. It seems like it is well intended and that it will address some issues that we’ve been having.” 

According to Charnesky, everyone she has talked to is excited and expressed how she thought it differs from the Michigan Department of Education. 

“It sounds more specialized and with more intent looking at early childhood specifically as one of the key components of it, and not just like it’s a department within the Department of Education,” she said. “It seems like a way for different departments to work together more with more flow between them, and better understanding between them.” 

They also hope that it will draw attention more to the unique struggles of early childhood professionals, including the heightened cost of care for young children, and how that affects costs for families and incomes for childcare facility workers.