This week, the Senate passed both omnibus budgets providing funding for the upcoming 2016-2017 Fiscal Year. The legislature will continue their budget work throughout this month with the goal of having the budget finalized by mid-June. The budget for K-12 schools, community colleges, and universities totals $16.1 billion, highlights of the budget are below:
K-12 Schools
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$150 million increase to the foundation allowance and an additional $300 per-pupil funding for districts that consolidate
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$10.1 million to provide additional resources to the City of Flint, including Early on and Great Start Readiness Programs
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$5 million to reimburse nonpublic schools for the cost of complying with state mandates
Community Colleges
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An increase of 2.4% for operations using the 2016 Performance Indicator Review Task Force recommendations
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Requirement of community colleges to publicly post on their website their annual budget, collective bargaining agreements, health care plans, audits and financial reports, among other items
Higher Education
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Across the board increase of 4.4% to operations, except for Eastern Michigan University and Oakland University who exceed tuition restraint levels in the current fiscal year
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A $50.5 million increase to the Tuition Incentive Program
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Require universities to post financial and other data on their website
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Tuition restraint of 4.8% and universities who exceed that cap will not be eligible for funding of Capitol Outlay projects in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 Fiscal Years
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An intent statement that General Fund dollars be allocated to universities who incur costs from Indian Tuition Waiver program
The budget providing appropriations for state departments totals $38.77 billion. Highlights are below:
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Closure of two state correctional facilities for a savings of $46,972,200
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$1,000 per school building to reimburse schools that test for lead in the water
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An additional two full time employees to help with the expected increase to the number of participants in the Early/Middle College program
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Additional funding to draw down all federal match dollars for the Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund, which provides low interest loans for municipalities to improve water infrastructure
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$5.4 million onetime appropriation to aide with the Flint Declaration of Emergency
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$700,000 for the Attorney General in handling the United States Supreme Court decision on the retroactivity of juvenile life without parole sentences
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A 3.5% overall increase to the legislature
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A $1 million increase to the 21st Century Jobs Trust Fund
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$5 million to increase cyber security protections across all State IT systems
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An increase of 3.9% to constitutional revenue sharing
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2% increase for the Healthy Michigan Plan
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$800,00 increase to the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission
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$300,000 to increase the Michigan State Police trooper force by 100
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