Funding Towards Education Today

A 2018 study estimated it would cost $9,590 to educate a typical Michigan student to meet performance standards. The state is poised to spend $8,409 per pupil this year under the 2019 budget signed by former Gov. Rick Snyder, which is an increase in funding compared to recent years. The state has been shifting millions of dollars from its budget to environmental cleanup and road work, and although these are important issues that need to be addressed, the youth of our state and their education should be the number one priority as these individuals represent the future of our country. Michigan State University researchers estimate Michigan would need about $3.6 billion in additional revenue to meet the recommendations of the 2018 adequacy study. Michigan, however, has been ignoring this fact while other states are making significant investments in their education programs.

If we put education to the waste side behind numerous other issues, the future of our youth may be drastically effected. It is unfair to the taxpayers of our state to be paying taxes on things like roads while their kids are unable to get proper schooling. The Flint City School District, for example, doesn't have the funding or the staff to provide their special education students with the help they need. This is leaving special education students, who need more academic help to achieve proficiency then the average student, at even more of a disadvantage than they began with. The government needs to step up and give the less wealthy school districts the financial help they. The bare minimum in terms of expectations should be to properly staff and supply every school in the state. Beyond this we should put effort into giving students opportunities for more advanced courses, Advanced Placement classes are only offered at select schools in Michigan and the courses offered at each school differ based on budget, resources, and the quality of the teachers. These kids are the future of our state and our country and we are failing them by not providing them with the tools necessary for their academic success. Our country as a whole is already falling far behind many others in terms of academic achievement and proficiency and this trend will only worsen if a focus is not put on bettering public education from the ground up.

It is essential that we make budget cuts in other government programs or come up with an effective way to generate money else ware in order to give each kid in our state a proper education and an equal chance of future success.