President Trump’s Spending Cuts Affect Michigan School Budgets

The state of Michigan currently receives $2.27 Billion from the federal government to help fund the public schools around the state. This money has been paying for students to receive Title I instruction and resources along with other expenses like salaries, materials, sports, etc.

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As everyone knows, President Donald Trump has been focused on combing through the finances of the United States to find and remove anything that is spending unnecessary money. This has led to him signing many executive orders and freezing funding until they are able to straighten things out.

At first, this wasn't a huge alarm but as the time goes on and more people lose their jobs, the questions begin to roll in. Many people are wondering how many people will lose their jobs, what will funding look like, and what impacts it will have on communities around the country.

One of the most affected areas is going to the schools, especially here in the state of Michigan. There are several programs that are available to Michigan students but are heavily reliant on federal funding, which means these programs could cease to exist if the funds were to be reallocated or taken away completely.

Those programs include the following:

• $901.4 million for the state’s share of national school meals program funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
• $535 million to support learning of economically disadvantaged students under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
• $450 million to support special education under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• $490 million for childcare development funds providing free or low-cost childcare to 43,000 children via scholarship
• $40 million for 21st-century community learning centers that provide before- and after-school enrichment programs primarily in high-poverty, low-performing districts
• $14 million each IDEA programs assisting children with developmental delays and disabilities from birth to age 5 and “early on” intervention services for infants and toddlers
• $11 million for preschool development grants projects, including upping wages for early educators and launching a substitute teachers' solution
• career and technical education
• learning center grants
• ESEA teacher development programs
• USDA emergency food assistance
• funds for preschool, charter schools and literacy efforts.

In addition to the effects on school for K-12 students, Michigan students could also be affected by the availability of the Pell grant which helps them pay for college.