LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A lawmaker is warning of a potential 25% cut in state funding for K-12 schools due to economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Republican Sen. Wayne Schmidt, who chairs the Senate's education budget subcommittee, said Tuesday that 25% is "certainly the high end," but schools should brace for the worst. There is uncertainty over whether federal rescue aid can be used to help balance the budget. About 40% of the $14 billion in state revenues for the school aid fund comes from sales taxes. Schmidt says "there's no way around" cuts to base funding that districts get from the state.
