Michigan lawmakers increase 2025 education budget

LANSING Mich. (WLNS) – As lawmakers work to finalize the state’s budget, which is due soon, Michigan organizations are trying to get more funding for their causes.

The result was not what the Michigan Education Justice Coalition wanted to see.

The executive director of the group, Molly Sweeney, said they handed out petitions Wednesday morning, ahead of the lawmakers’ meeting, in the hopes the conference committee would approve $300 million towards mental health in the 2025 state budget—which did not happen.

“Our schools need to help our students, and they need more staff and resources to do it,” Sweeney said.

Although the MEJC’s goal wasn’t met, the conference committee did vote to increase funding for mental health and safety to around $150 million—but sources tell 6 News that, in the last budget, $300 million was allotted to mental health and safety.

Lawmakers explained that in previous years there has been federal money to help fund education, but those funds have dried up. State Rep. Nancy DeBoer said despite that, it is still not an area to cut corners.

“This means that the schools will only install half the door locks or half the security cameras that they might otherwise. It means only half of the students who need mental health support might receive them. This isn’t good enough,” DeBoer said.

All of this happened in a meeting with members of both the Senate and House. MEJC member Rachelle Crow-Hercher commented on the state’s efforts to at least increase the budget from around $25 million to around $150 million.

“Our state is doing the best that they can with the education fund dollars that we have at this point in time,” Crow-Hercher said.

The MEJC said this is just one area in education that is underfunded. Overall, they’re looking to fill what they say is a $4.5 billion gap in funding for schools.

“We have more work to do and I think they know it,” Sweeney said.

Even though they didn’t exactly get what they wanted they vow to keep fighting.

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