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Senate Panel Approves Increase In Per-Pupil Funding, Plan Reduces Grant Funds

Gov. Rick Snyder wants to increase per-student funding for schools by 3 percent in the budget for next fiscal year. But schools could actually end up getting more than that.

A state Senate panel on Wednesday approved an increase ranging between $150 and $300 dollars per student. Snyder recommended an increase between $83 and $111.

The plan would get rid of a number of grants and give that money back to schools without strings attached through the per-pupil allowance.

“It allows them more flexibility and it also allows them more certainty,” said Sen. Howard Walker, R-Traverse City, who chairs the Senate Appropriations K-12, School Aid and Education Subcommittee. “So I think that allows them to plan better and my hope is that it allows them to produce a better product for the students.”

But Michigan Board of Education President John Austin says the plan could actually hurt schools in low-income areas. He says the state should be funding more grants for districts with unique needs – not getting rid of them.

“If anything, we need to go in the opposite direction,” said Austin, “meaning we need to spend more to support at-risk kids and kids in poverty. We probably need to change our formula so that we have more funding against the true costs of education where they’re higher.”

The School Aid budget still needs to be approved by the full Senate Appropriations Committee before going to the state Senate floor.