LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Special education costs in Michigan’s public schools have skyrocketed since the pandemic.
The state had 70,000 special education students in 2011 and that dropped to 52,000 in 2024. The number of special education students has remained relatively the same since 2022, but not the costs.
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Statewide spending on special education is projected to increase from $1.6 billion in 2022 to $2.6 billion in 2025. The state will spend an extra $236.4 million on special education in 2025 compared to the previous year.
The state’s largest school district has also seen a big increase in special education spending.
Detroit had 4,188 special education students in 2013-14 and spent $131.1 million on special education. Ten years later, that increased to $160.2 million in spending for 2,889 special ed students. Per-pupil spending increased by 34% when adjusted for inflation over that 10-year period.
Those special education costs include the cost for transportation. Detroit’s public school district spent $13.5 million in special education transportation in 2023-24.
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