COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – School officials around Michigan are breathing a big sigh of relief as the state budget which has been agreed to by Governor Whitmer and Republican leaders in the state legislature does not cut K-12 education funding.
Branch I.S.D. Business Manager Diane Shiery told the B.I.S.D. Board of Education on Wednesday they were not surprised there were no changes in state funding.
Shiery said, “as we expected, stable but flat budget but actually better news than what we thought months ago.”
She said they were making preparations in June for funding cuts from the state because of the COVID-19 economic impact.
The budget will provide $30 million to fund the Michigan Reconnect program, providing a tuition-free pathway for adults looking to earn a postsecondary certificate or associate degree.
The budget keeps schools, colleges, universities and local government at their 2020 funding level.
58th District State Representative Eric Leutheuser of Hillsdale said, “With COVID-19 and economic shutdowns, the last six months have been challenging in countless ways. But I am proud to say we have reached an agreement on a balanced budget with no tax increases that funds priorities for our community and our state. This is a great example of what can happen when the governor and the Legislature work together, and I hope the governor continues that pattern in all matters important to the state moving forward.”
The state’s new fiscal year starts next Thursday.
(WKZO’s Will Kriss contributed to this report)
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