A $54 billion plan to fund schools and state agencies through the next fiscal year has cleared the state Senate.
The Senate’s budget plan includes increases for early childhood reading and school programs in high poverty areas.
But it passed with not a single Democrat in favor. They say Senate Bills 133 and 134 do not do enough to protect public schools and low-income families.
State Senate Democratic Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint) says he can’t support a plan that uses school aid money for things other than K-12 education.
“If we’re going to have a 21st Century economy, we need to make sure our schools are fully funded and providing the kind of quality education they need to,” said Ananich.
“And directing money towards higher education and community colleges and other things like that I think is the wrong step – and we’re continuing to do that in this budget.”
Republicans note the budget would increase education funding by about two percent.
“We were able to do an increase,” said state Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R-Lowell), who chairs the committee that sets the Senate’s budget priorities.
“Now, we’ll have to figure out when we have the May revenue estimating conference - if there’s more money available next year in the School Aid Fund, we’ll be able to do a little bit more.”
The state House and Senate hope to iron out differences in their budget proposals by early June.
