Lawmakers in Lansing Have Failed Michigan’s Schools, Students

Lack of budget deal highlights Lansing’s misguided priorities

LANSING, Mich., July 1, 2025—As lawmakers leave the Capitol tonight without a finalized FY 2025-2026 School Aid Budget, they will do so both violating state law and further disrupting planning efforts for the upcoming school year. In response, K-12 Alliance of Michigan Executive Director Robert McCann issued the following statement.

“For months, educators across Michigan have watched lawmakers dismiss the urgency of the budget process to instead turn their focus to a road funding deal that has gone nowhere, in part because some parties have tried to tie education and road funding dollars together in a terribly conceived scheme to force schools and kids to pay for a deal they’ve run out of responsible ideas to otherwise fund.

There is a complete lack of accountability in Lansing for ensuring our schools are given the most basic tools in a timely manner so that superintendents and School Boards can plan the best possible services for their students this Fall. The consequences of this inaction by leaders inside our Capitol are already being felt in schools across Michigan and every day this unnecessary stalemate is allowed to continue only furthers the negative impact this will have on students.

The sad reality is that the State of Michigan is now breaking the law to harm Michigan’s schools. It’s already too late for the Governor and legislative leaders to do what’s right for our students, but it’s not too late for them to do what’s necessary.

Taxpayers have done their jobs to provide Lansing with the funding that’s needed. Educators and students have done their jobs to make our schools the best they can be. It’s time for lawmakers to do their jobs too.”

                                                                     ###

The K-12 Alliance of Michigan is a coalition of education leaders committed to fighting for strong K-12 schools across Michigan. Comprised of Superintendents from every district in Genesee, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne counties, they are collectively responsible for educating over half of Michigan’s students.