Higher education and public schools received a shot in the arm from the Michigan legislature this past week. At least if the Governor Rick Snyder approves them.
According mlive.com, the legislature will send $16 million worth of education funding to the governor’s desk for approval.
Within the budget is an increase of over $18 million for higher education, $1.53 for the state’s public universities, over $23 million increase for community colleges, and $50 million “for a possible agreement on Snyder’s plans for Detroit education reform.
The reform money will go towards paying down “the debt of Detroit Public Schools.”
More antecedents included is money for at risk funding and a bump in per pupil funding from $70 to $140.
Because the education budgets received bipartisan support, and votes, Snyder will likely sign off on them. He received the money he requested for education reform and there seem to be no cuts to higher education.
State legislatures across the country are struggling to balance budgets without cutting higher and public education. This money will address the needs of low-income, or poor, school districts and pump more money into Michigan’s public universities.
Hopefully Michigan sets a trend nationwide where lawmakers will refrain from freezing or cutting money from higher and public education.
