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Rep. Curt VanderWall
VanderWall votes against state school budget proposal.
LANSING — State Rep. Curt VanderWall (R-Ludington) voted against the Michigan House of Representative’s school budget Tuesday, saying the spending blueprint does not support rural students, according to a press release.
VanderWall, who represents Mason, Manistee, Benzie and Leelanau counties, said the lack of extra funding for kids in smaller school districts was just one reason for his no vote. The funding increase, known as 2X, has been used to close the funding gap between school districts for a number of years.
“In the past, smaller schools that had not received equal funding received twice the increase per student as larger, wealthier school districts. This budget does not include the extra funding,” VanderWall said. “The elimination of a majority of the math and science centers across the state and removal of a local produce in a school meal program that supports healthy eating and our area farmers are other reasons I could not support this budget.”
The school budget passed the House 60-47.
VanderWall did vote for the general state budget, which funds programs, departments and services vital to state residents.
Highlights of the budget include:
- Making life better in communities across Michigan by adding money for road repairs, public safety departments, parks and other programs to improve our daily lives.
- Increasing funding for public safety by adding 100 more Michigan State Police troopers.
- Making health care more effective and efficient, with an enhanced focus on improving mental health care.
- Paying down retiree debt and adding to state government’s main savings account for tough times, pushing that emergency fund above $1 billion.
The budget also passed the House 60-47.
Both bills now go to the Senate for consideration.
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