WZZM, 12/10

Michigan school leaders call for long-term funding commitments from state and federal government

By Jon Mills

During a “State of Michigan Schools” roundtable via Zoom, superintendents and education leaders from across the state outlined a need for short and long-term K-12 funding commitments from the state and federal government. Many districts are offering students two to three learning models, taking on additional expenses to provide safe learning environments. Budgets are a big concern for school administrators, however, significant learning loss caused by the pandemic also weighs heavily on their minds. "We will need significant federal assistance from Washington in order to support students moving forward," said professor in Wayne State University’s College of Education Jennifer Lewis. "There's great loss, probably five to nine months of learning loss due to the pandemic. Kids will have basically lost a year of academic learning."