Democratic legislators stand with Michigan residents and education leaders ranking school funding as top priority

LANSING, Mich., Aug. 22, 2025 — As students begin to head back to the classroom, Matt Hall has not yet brought a balanced and equitable school-aid budget for the 2025-2026 school year for a vote. A new poll released earlier this week shows that nearly three quarters of Michigan voters rank school funding as their top priority for the Legislature, with nearly 90 percent of participants saying the budget must be completed before the school year starts.

After months of calling on Hall to listen to parents, teachers and school groups, House Democrats challenged their Republican counterparts to take responsibility for their caucus leadership and pass the budget educators, students and voters across the state are demanding of them before Hall leads the state into a government shutdown.

“It has never been more obvious that a government shutdown is the Republican end game, and it is our students who will pay the price,” said state Rep. Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park). “Michigan’s residents have made it clear that funding for schools and students is their top priority, yet Hall and his Republican caucus are sitting on their hands, putting forward an ideologically-driven budget that does not reflect the wants and needs of individual schools and parents, and puts everything from school lunches to rural transportation on the chopping block. Every parent worried about whether their children will have free breakfast and lunch at school this year can blame that worry directly on House Republicans.”

The House Republican education plan falsely boasts that “eliminating categorical spending” improves the per-pupil allotment by allowing more funds to be used for general purposes. Categoricals are funds in the school-aid budget that are dedicated for specific purposes — like school meals, special education, school safety, student mental health, English language learning, career and technical education and bussing for rural districts. The House Republican plan — which has received widespread condemnation from teachers, parents and school groups across the state — will result in fewer resources for the students who need it the most and even greater disparities between the wealthiest and most economically disadvantaged districts in the state.

A popular example of categorical spending includes the universal school meal funding that Michigan Democrats ensured for every public school student during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years. Under Hall’s education plan, there is a risk that only schools in the wealthiest districts will be able to provide universal school meals, as schools with a higher population of students with greater needs will need to use the resources elsewhere. Studies show that all students perform better when they are fed. House Republicans blew past the July 1 statutory deadline to pass a final state budget — leaving school districts in the dark and already forcing some to stop providing breakfast and lunch, lay off support staff, increase class sizes and cut other programming that students and parents rely on.

“The Republican education plan is a reverse Robin Hood: it takes resources from the school districts who require it the most and hands them over to the ones who, statistically, need it the least,” said state Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth). “This plan doesn’t incentivize districts to maximize their programming, it forces them to choose between their most vital needs. Our schools shouldn’t have to choose between school safety or special ed, and students should be able to have free lunches and school counselors.”

In addition to failing to pass a final school aid budget before the start of the academic year, House Republicans have also yet to propose a full state budget, which would fund all remaining state departments and services. Public disagreements amongst House Republican leadership have made it unclear when or if a budget could be unveiled.

“Teachers and parents in my community are reaching out daily to voice their concerns about the lack of a budget and the potential elimination of critical services like universal free meals. While they’re upset and frustrated overall with Republicans bringing us ever closer to a shutdown with their political games, their primary concern is advocating for their kids,” said state Rep. Carol Glanville (D-Walker). “My Democratic colleagues and I are not here to play games. We’re here to work for the people of Michigan, securing the investments they want to see in our schools and providing the services that help ensure every student has a chance to thrive. It’s time Republicans get serious and do the same.”

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