Issue Position: Education & School Funding

Issue Position

Whether it's through public schools, private schools, parochial schools, charter schools or homeschooling, every child in this state deserves access to whatever educational model best resonates with them and inspires learning. State involvement must be minimal in this effort, with curriculum decisions and teaching methods best deferred to our local school boards, educators, and parents.

I am also committed to working towards a more stable formula to calculate and distribute state aid to our districts. Every two years, our school districts must go through a chaotic process of not knowing how much state aid they will receive. With state funding being a substantial part of district budgets, the difference between flat-funding or a moderate increase is monumental. This unpredictability makes it next to impossible for districts to create long-term financial forecasts, strategize future millage needs, and ensure the solvency of local levies. Providing a greater measure of certainty to our local school districts will ultimately provide the taxpayers with more certainty and allow for greater local control over district needs.

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