GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The West Michigan Talent Triangle supports Gov. Whitmer’s 2020 education budget, which incorporates the School Finance Research Collaborative findings to help all students achieve and succeed.
“The West Michigan Talent Triangle supports Gov. Whitmer’s school funding plan, which uses nationally recognized research to make key investments so all students have the opportunity to get a high-quality education and compete for the jobs of the future,” said Tom TenBrink, superintendent of Jenison Public Schools. “The governor’s budget proposal also makes progress on ending the shell games played with the School Aid Fund by removing university funding. The voters were explicit in their intent to have the School Aid Fund used for K-12 education. We look forward to working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to put it into action.”
If passed, the governor’s budget would create a weighted formula to improve classroom resources for:
- Special education needs
- Low-income and at-risk children
- Career and Technical Education programs
The West Michigan Talent Triangle is an education advocacy organization representing Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa Area ISDs and their 42 member school districts.
In 2018, the School Finance Research Collaborative completed Michigan’s first comprehensive school adequacy study that determined the true cost of educating all students to make the way we fund schools more fair. The Collaborative is a diverse group of business leaders and education experts, from Metro Detroit to the U.P., who agree it’s time to change the way Michigan’s schools are funded.
The final Collaborative report provides a base cost for student achievement in Michigan, with additional funding considerations for special education, English Language Learners, Career and Technical Education programs, students living in poverty, preschool, geographic isolation, district size, cost of living differences and student transportation.
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