Bipartisan plan would benefit students in Kent and Ionia ISDs

State Rep. Thomas Albert, of Lowell, has introduced a new model for school funding that if enacted could result in significantly increased special education funds.

Albert said the bills came about because special education funding improvements have been neglected since 1994, when Michigan voters approved Proposal A, a new system for funding schools.

“What’s overlooked is that special education funding was left to be addressed at a later date but still has yet to be done 25 years later,” Albert said. “Roughly 207,000 Michigan students require some degree of special education. Unfortunately, Michigan’s school districts have about a $700 million shortfall in special education funding.”

General education students are funded differently than special education students, whose specialized education comes at a greater cost to the school district. This year, schools received a minimum of $7,631 for every student funded by sales, income and property taxes along with lottery proceeds and federal funding. Schools also receive funding raised by Intermediate School Districts, which are regional groups made up of local school districts, but revenue raised per special education student can vary widely.

Despite these different funding sources, the revenue doesn’t come close to covering the costs needed for students in need of special education. Those additional costs are reimbursed by the state, but only 28.6 percent of the costs are covered.

“School districts are mandated to provide special education to any student in need,” Albert said. “So when they experience a funding deficit, money is used from the district’s general fund, and all students are negatively impacted.”

Albert’s legislation would address the funding shortfall by incentivizing local investment in school districts by offering an additional 1 percent reimbursement from the state for any district that raises at least $690 per pupil through a local millage.

Both Kent and Ionia ISDs already raise more than $690 and would not need to make any changes to their local millage rates.

“Every student in Michigan deserves a quality education, regardless of their challenges,” Albert said. “This plan is a step in the right direction to help deliver quality special education to those in need.”

House Bills 4887-88 were referred to the House Education Committee.