EdTrust-Midwest Lauds Policymakers for Continued Support for Students with the Greatest Needs in FY 27 Budget
Today, the House and Senate reached a bi-partisan agreement on the FY 27 school aid budget that recognizes that all students deserve access to an excellent public education, but some students need more support to reach their full academic potential. Michigan lawmakers should be applauded for prioritizing investment in students who have long been underserved.
“Today’s school budget is a big win for all Michigan students, especially students with the greatest needs,” said Brian L. Love, state director for EdTrust-Midwest. “For Michigan to become a top ten state for education, we have to ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed. While there’s more work to do to ensure schools and educators have the support they need to improve outcomes for all students, this budget continues to put Michigan on the right path.”
The FY 27 school aid budget not only increases funding for all public schools but also embeds a new weighted funding formula that invests additional dollars for students with the greatest needs. Notably, the budget continues the recent momentum towards creating a fair budget formula for students from low-income backgrounds by increasing the Opportunity Index by $259 million, bringing the total to $1.55 billion—or a 20 percent increase. The Opportunity Index, passed in 2023, provides needed additional support for public school students living in school districts with high concentrations of poverty. The budget also includes a $12.5 million increase for English Learners, a group of students that has long been underserved. This represents just over a 20 percent increase, bringing the total to just over $75 million.
EdTrust-Midwest and partners have long advocated for additional funding and support for these student groups, serving as key champions for the Opportunity Index and for more support for English Learners.
The budget also includes $40 million in new state funding to reimburse districts for dual enrollment, which was a key recommendation in EdTrust-Midwest’s recent report, Ready for Rigor: Expanding Access to Rigorous Coursework in Michigan. This funding will increase access to advanced coursework and expand options for students to pursue their interests.
The legislature also focused on addressing the literacy crisis in Michigan by including $75 million for LETRS training, $52.5 million for literacy coaches, and $50 million for high-impact tutoring. The budget included an increase in special education funding but did not include the recommendations of the Michigan Special Education Finance Reform Blueprint, which EdTrust-Midwest had advocated for.
“The increased funding for students from low-income backgrounds and English Learners continues the momentum of recent budgets by building a fairer school funding system to meet the needs of all students,” Love said. “Sen. Camilleri and Rep. Kelly both deserve significant credit for setting aside their differences and coming together to pass the budget.”
While today’s budget moves the state in the right direction by providing additional resources to Michigan’s most vulnerable students, EdTrust-Midwest continues to advocate for additional fair funding investments, including fully funding the Opportunity Index, providing additional funding to support the needs of English Learners, expanding the weighted funding formula to include students with disabilities, and driving more support to schools to improve early literacy
