School funding

Current understanding

Per-pupil allowance, categorical grants, and the School Aid budget.

Evidence log

• 2026-05-14 — Education: examinations; certain requirements concerning the Michigan merit examination; modify. Amends secs. 22p & 104c of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1622p & 388.1704c) & repeals sec. 104b of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1704b).: cross-connection with michigan-merit-examination: HB 4557 routes MME requirement changes through the State School Aid Act (1979 PA 94), tying assessment rules to school funding statutes rather than only the Revised School Code. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-05-20 — Property tax: state education tax; state education tax; eliminate. Repeals 1993 PA 331 (MCL 211.901 - 211.906). TIE BAR WITH: HB 5880’26: 2026 — HB5873 (passed chamber) would repeal 1993 PA 331 (MCL 211.901–211.906) to eliminate Michigan’s State Education Tax (a 6-mill statewide property tax feeding the School Aid Fund); tie-barred with HB5880’26. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-02 — School aid: penalties; exception to minimum days of pupil instruction requirement for inclement weather; revise. Amends sec. 101 of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1701).: 2026 — HB5797 (enacted) amends sec. 101 of the School Aid Act (1979 PA 94, MCL 388.1701) to revise the inclement-weather exception, allowing such days to count toward the minimum days of pupil instruction without triggering funding penalties. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-02-11 — Education: meals; free school lunch and breakfast program; modify. Amends sec. 30d of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1630d). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0784’26: cross-connection with free-school-meals: SB 785 modifies State School Aid Act sec. 30d, the funding vehicle for the free school meals program. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-02-11 — Education: meals; free school lunch and breakfast program; create. Amends 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1 - 380.1852) by adding sec. 1271. TIE BAR WITH: SB 0785’26: cross-connection with free-school-meals: A statewide free meals program would require an ongoing school aid funding mechanism, likely established via the tie-barred SB 0785. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-07-21 — Appropriations: school aid omnibus; fiscal year 2026-2027 appropriations for K-12 school aid, higher education, and community colleges; provide for. Amends; adds & repeals (See bill).: 2026 — HB5630 enacted as the FY 2026-2027 school aid omnibus, appropriating funds for K-12 school aid, higher education, and community colleges by amending secs. 11, 201 & 236 of 1979 PA 94. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-24 — Detroit Public Schools Community District v. Dept of Treasury: 2026-06-24 — Michigan Court of Appeals issued an opinion in Detroit Public Schools Community District v. Department of Treasury, a district-vs-Treasury dispute with potential implications for school funding/tax administration (specifics of holding not summarized here). (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-11 — Property tax: state education tax; state education tax; repeal. Repeals 1993 PA 331 (MCL 211.901 - 211.906).: 2026 — SB1039 (introduced) proposes to repeal 1993 PA 331 (MCL 211.901–211.906), which would eliminate the State Education Tax, a 6-mill statewide property tax that is a major source of School Aid Fund revenue for public K-12 education. (novelty: 3) (novelty: 3)
• 2026-06-10 — School aid: foundation allowance; foundation allowance amounts; base on the state and local government inflation index and tie to inflation. Amends sec. 367b of 1984 PA 431 (MCL 18.1367b).: 2026 — HB6075 (introduced) amends sec. 367b of 1984 PA 431 (MCL 18.1367b) to tie the school aid foundation allowance amounts to the state and local government inflation index, creating automatic inflation-based per-pupil funding adjustments. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-16 — Transportation: school vehicles; vehicles allowed for transportation of pupils; modify. Amends sec. 10 of 1990 PA 187 (MCL 257.1810).: 2026 — HB6091 (introduced) amends sec. 10 of 1990 PA 187 (MCL 257.1810) to modify which vehicles are permitted for transporting pupils; primarily a pupil transportation safety/eligibility change rather than a direct School Aid provision, but may have indirect fleet cost implications for districts. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-17 — Education: calendar; restrictions on school start date; eliminate. Amends sec. 1284a of 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1284a) & repeals sec. 1284b of 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1284b) & sec. 160 of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1760).: 2026 — HB6100 (introduced) amends sec. 1284a of 1976 PA 451 and repeals sec. 1284b and sec. 160 of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1760), eliminating the School Aid Act linkage that conditions state aid on a post-Labor Day school start date. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-23 — Education: other; virtual instruction days; allow. Amends 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1 - 380.1852) by adding sec. 1482.: 2026 — SB1058 (introduced) amends the Revised School Code (1976 PA 451) by adding sec. 1482 to allow schools to conduct virtual instruction days, potentially affecting how instructional days count toward funding-linked attendance requirements. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-18 — Education: school districts; student mental health apprenticeship retention and training (SMART) internship grant program; modify. Amends sec. 3 of 2022 PA 180 (MCL 388.1953).: 2026 — HB6106 (introduced) amends sec. 3 of 2022 PA 180 (MCL 388.1953) to modify provisions of the SMART internship grant program, a categorical school-funded pipeline for school mental health staff. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-17 — Education: other; public innovative programs; provide for. Amends secs. 6, 18 & 101 of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1606 et seq.). TIE BAR WITH: HB 5983’26: 2026 — HB5984 (passed chamber) amends secs. 6, 18 & 101 of the School Aid Act (1979 PA 94) to establish School Aid Act provisions for public innovative programs; tie-barred to HB5983’26. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-17 — Education: other; public innovative programs; provide for. Amends secs. 1278a, 1278b & 1284a of 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1278a et seq.) & adds sec. 1278e. TIE BAR WITH: HB 5984’26: 2026 — HB5983 (passed chamber) amends secs. 1278a, 1278b, and 1284a and adds sec. 1278e of the Revised School Code (1976 PA 451) to provide for public innovative programs; tie-barred to HB5984’26. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-24 — Education: school districts; requirements for borrowing money and issuing bonds; modify. Amends sec. 1351a of 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1351a).: 2026 — SB0517 (passed chamber) amends sec. 1351a of the Revised School Code (1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1351a) to modify requirements for school districts to borrow money and issue bonds. (novelty: 2)
• 2025-09-24 — Construction: other; School building construction projects that cost less than $5,000,000.00; exempt from certain construction requirements. Amends sec. 5a of 1937 PA 306 (MCL 388.855a).: 2026-07 — HB5033 (introduced) (citation removed) amends sec. 5a of 1937 PA 306 (MCL 388.855a) to exempt school building construction projects costing less than $5,000,000 from certain construction requirements. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-30 — Legislature: other; certain transparency requirements and penalties for failure to present school aid appropriation bills by July 1; provide for. Amends secs. 12, 26 & 31, art. IV & sec. 11, art. IX & adds sec. 55 to art. IV of the state constitution.: A joint resolution (introduced) proposes amending the Michigan Constitution to add transparency requirements and penalties if the legislature fails to present school aid appropriation bills by July 1, aiming to give districts earlier funding certainty. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-06-30 — Education: school districts; capital outlay funds; allow school districts and intermediate school districts to use. Amends sec. 242 of 1984 PA 431 (MCL 18.1242): 2026-07-03 — HB6145 (introduced) amends sec. 242 of the Management and Budget Act (1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1242) to allow school districts and intermediate school districts to use capital outlay funds. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-30 — Education: financing; interest-free loans to school districts and intermediate schools districts from the state’s surplus funds; allow under certain circumstances. Amends 1855 PA 105 (MCL 21.141 - 21.147) by adding sec. 2g.: 2026-07-03 — HB6144 (introduced) would amend 1855 PA 105 (MCL 21.141-21.147) by adding sec. 2g to allow interest-free loans from state surplus funds to school districts and intermediate school districts under certain circumstances. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-03 — School aid: other; requirements for districts to receive weighted funding; provide for. Amends 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1 - 380.1852) by adding sec. 1280h. TIE BAR WITH: SB 0860’26: 2026-07-03 — SB0903 (passed chamber) amends the Revised School Code (1976 PA 451) by adding sec. 1280h to establish requirements districts must meet to receive weighted funding allocations; tie-barred to SB0860’26. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-03 — Education: financing; Michigan trust fund act; modify. Amends sec. 12 of 2000 PA 489 (MCL 12.262).: 2026-07-03 — HB6130 (passed chamber) amends sec. 12 of the Michigan Trust Fund Act (2000 PA 489, MCL 12.262) to modify education financing provisions. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-03 — Appropriations: school aid omnibus; fiscal year 2026-2027 appropriations for K-12 school aid, higher education, and community colleges; provide for. Amends secs. 11, 201 & 236 of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1611 et seq.).: 2026-07-03 — HB5630 (passed chamber) provides FY 2026-2027 school aid omnibus appropriations for K-12, higher education, and community colleges, amending secs. 11, 201 & 236 of the 1979 School Aid Act (PA 94). (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-03 — Education: other; alternative academic performance rating and report card system; provide for. Amends 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1 - 380.1852) by adding sec. 1280h.: HB6175 proposes an alternative school rating and report card system (new Sec. 1280h); potential downstream implications for accountability-linked funding are not yet specified in the introduced bill. (novelty: 3)

Open questions

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