LANSING (WKZO-AM) — School funding has become a hot election year topic in Michigan, as districts are cutting programs and staff to avoid going in the red.
Now, independent research on exactly how much it costs to educate different students in Michigan has been completed by a Colorado consultant and delivered to Gov. Rick Snyder, but the state isn’t releasing it yet.
Kalamazoo Public Schools Supt. Michael Rice said Michigan’s “one size fits all” funding formula is not working, and the state is slowly losing ground to other states with more progressive funding formulas.
He says poor, urban, special needs and non-English speaking children all cost more to educate, and districts should be funded to address those needs.
He hopes the report supports that position.
The report, which was commissioned by the state, may be released in the next week or two.
