The state budget may be coming. What did the delay mean for Northern Michigan schools?

While the state budget deadline is looming, government leaders in Michigan have granted reassurance: A budget is coming.

While the state operates on an Oct. 1 through Sept. 30 fiscal year, it is standard for state budgets to be mostly agreed upon by June 30, with a budget passed by July 1. This allows school districts to prepare for what revenues they’ll be seeing for the upcoming school year right at the start of their own fiscal year.

The state failed to meet the usual summer deadline this year.

On Thursday, Sept. 25, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and Speaker of the House Matt Hall issued statements committing to passing the school aid budget and state budget before the end of the fiscal year.

According to a release from Whitmer’s office, the bipartisan budget will “lower Michiganders’ costs, reduce waste and increase government efficiency, and help Michiganders thrive. The administration and legislative leaders will continue meeting to finalize and pass the budget.”

The announcement came after weeks of concerns about failing to meet the deadline, and lawmakers who, seemingly, were unwilling to budge on issues.

Boyne City Public Schools Superintendent Pat Little told the News-Review that local superintendents had recently met with representatives about their concerns of a government shutdown and how that would impact operations.

While schools have been able to operate business as usual in September, if the government failed to make an agreement, schools would be unable to get their state aid payments, meaning districts with smaller fund balances would be at risk of needing to take out loans to support payroll.

More: Budget deal could avert first double shutdown in Michigan government history

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Public Schools of Petoskey Superintendent Jeff Leslie said this year’s budgeting process was frustrating because the typical process didn’t seem to be happening at all, leaving question marks for school budgets a quarter of the way into their fiscal year.

“We know what our expenses are going to be, but we don’t know what our revenue is going to be,” Leslie said.

More: Petoskey school board tables lunch decision, awaiting state budget for funding plans

For the past two years, the state of Michigan has reimbursed school districts the money necessary to provide free breakfast and lunch for all students, not just those qualifying within federal guidelines. Prior to the state making progress on the budget, there were concerns regarding the reimbursements and whether schools would need to foot the bill or reintroduce meal prices.

Boyne City Public Schools recently passed a resolution saying the district would cover the costs through October if needed, and the Petoskey school board discussed funding the program themselves as well, without making a formal resolution, as they await the state budget.

— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @KarlyGrahamJrn.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: The Michigan state budget may be coming. What did the delay mean for schools?