LANSING – State Representative Jennifer Haase (D-Richmond) today joined the Michigan House of Representatives to pass a plan that will restore $184 million in funding to schools and help ease deep cuts to education that could seriously impact Michigan's ability to prepare children for future jobs. The House also passed Haase's plan to move the state's School Aid Budget deadline to June 1 in order to prevent the type of budget chaos that ensued when legislators failed to reach a budget accord by Oct. 1 this year.
"Right now, too many of our schools are asking whether they have enough funding to keep teachers in the classroom and provide the supplies and resources necessary to educate our children," said Haase, a former teacher and member of the House Education Committee. "Lansing's budget failures have put schools across the state in a difficult position – one that could seriously harm our children's future and our state's future – and we must never let this happen again. Requiring that the Legislature complete the School Aid Budget by June 1 will help make sure that our children are never again the victims of budget breakdowns."
The plan passed by the House today will leverage $184 million in federal funding, helping to ease the per-pupil cuts that were imposed on Michigan schools last month.
In addition, the House passed Haase's plan to move the date that the Legislature must complete the School Aid Budget from Oct. 1 to June 1. This change will better allow Michigan schools to plan for their academic school year before it begins, rather then waiting until it has already begun.
Haase's plan also makes it a priority to provide an additional $25.7 million for Michigan's 20j schools and $25.7 million for Michigan's under-funded schools. This $51.4 million would be funded through the Michigan Future Fund once revenue is identified. Local schools that will benefit from this action include: Algonac Community School District, Anchor Bay School District, Marysville Public Schools, Memphis Community Schools, Richmond Community Schools and Yale Public Schools.