UP Gazette

State Sen. Ed McBroom and Reps. Dave Prestin and Greg Markkanen have voted against the fiscal year 2025 school aid and higher education budget, which was passed through the Legislature along party lines early Thursday morning.

“By raiding the teacher pension fund, the Democrats are betraying retirees who have dedicated their lives to our kids. Putting former educators at risk in a time of heightened economic volatility is reckless and dangerous,” said Prestin, R-Cedar River. “Superintendents, teachers, and staff called all day to let me know that this budget is bad for their schools and colleagues. Someone needs to tell Democrats, especially ones who claim to represent the U.P., that economic responsibility doesn’t end at the kitchen table.”

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed a significant policy change for school funding this year by removing $670 million from placement into the teacher retirement fund (MPSERS). The state has a history of failing to make payments that has rapidly increased the debt.

“Under this budget, 2025 will be the first year we have not had a per-pupil funding increase in over a decade,” said McBroom, R-Waucedah Township. “With a total state budget over $81 billion, it seems inconceivable that we would be failing to increase per-pupil funding or make a debt payment into a fund that’s $30 billion in debt.

“When I was first elected, local schools had to make huge payments into the fund, which ate away at their funding. We capped that cost, and the state has faithfully partnered with our schools — until today. This budget’s change of course is both shortsighted and a failure to learn from the past.”

Democrats also removed $300 million in school safety funding from the school aid budget.

Markkanen expressed his frustration that the budget doesn’t even try to hide that money was set aside for pet projects Democrats are still trying to negotiate.

“This budget also lets down U.P. schools in several other ways,” said Markkanen, R-Hancock. “More money has been spent by Democrats in Lansing in the past 12 months than ever before in Michigan’s history. This budget continues that trend, but it’s worse than just that. This time they decided to cut funding for student counseling and school building security improvement grants. Why? Apparently raiding the pension fund just wasn’t enough money, so the counselors and exterior door locks had to go too. Unbelievable.”