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It takes nearly 400 pages of 10-point font text to direct Michigan’s complex school funding system. This labyrinth of laws is fertile ground for the growth of myths.
Sometimes the foundation allowance is discussed like it’s it a check the state mails to each district for every student roaming their halls.
It’s not that simple.
The foundation allowance is part of a complex funding formula that uses a mixture of local and state resources to guarantee a minimum amount of money for each district and minimize fiscal disparities.
Also, districts get much more than just the foundation allowance. While this one source provides about $7,100 to most districts, total per-pupil revenues hover around $13,000 when you factor in all local and federal contributions to schools.
Read more about this and other school funding myths.
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonprofit research and educational institute that advances the principles of free markets and limited government. Through our research and education programs, we challenge government overreach and advocate for a free-market approach to public policy that frees people to realize their potential and dreams.
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