Equitable Funding for ALL Public Schools

The recently introduced Michigan FY24-25 budget highlights a notable discrepancy in funding between charter public schools and traditional public schools. This gap raises concerns about equitable support for all students, regardless of their zip code or the type of public school they attend.

Here are some highlights:

• A 20% reduction in funding for Cyber CHARTERS (traditional school fully online students would continue to be fully funded)
• In FY24, there were several line items for individual schools, some got a pool, a gym, a cafeteria, a track, etc. Charter schools were not part of these "Oprah style" handouts
• $100 million to reduce the rate cap that schools pay toward unfunded pension liabilities. This is important to note because moving that cap simply shifts who pays more but it DOES NOT REDUCE the debt further. It is also money that most charter schools don’t get access to. We would rather see this money in the foundation allowance and let those who accrued the debt pay it OR see it go to further pay down debts
• From the Infrastructure fund that was created a few years ago, they are now allowing up to $25 million to districts (NOT CHARTERS) for infrastructure emergencies
• The student loan assistance does not apply to many charter school educators. Charter school educators were prohibited from receiving those funds from FY24 because of the contracted nature of their employment structure
• Language to prohibit discrimination against charter schools from the ISDs was removed in section 81 of the FY24 budget and as a result some ISDs are once again prohibiting charter schools from attending certain meetings and being a part of certain email groups