The Farmington Public Schools Board of Education on Sept. 9 unanimously approved a resolution urging Michigan lawmakers to immediately pass the fiscal‑year 2025–26 school aid appropriation and to avoid tying school funding to unrelated budget deals.

The resolution, read into the record by the board at the meeting, cites the Michigan Constitution’s requirement that the legislature and governor pass an annual school budget and notes that local districts are required by law to adopt their budgets by July 1. It references Public Act 160 of 2019 and states that the state legislature had not met the July 1 deadline for the school‑aid appropriation, forcing Farmington to adopt a local budget without key per‑pupil allocation information.

Vice President Walker moved to amend the agenda to take action on the resolution the same evening; trustees approved moving the item into the action portion and then voted to adopt the resolution and waive a second reading. The motion to approve the resolution and waive the second reading passed on a voice vote; later roll calls show unanimous support for budget‑related items the board handled that evening.

Board members and the superintendent described practical impacts from the delay. Superintendent Dr. Carlton told trustees the district must monitor supplemental programs because the delayed state budget affects funding streams for safety and mental‑health initiatives, special education, 31a at‑risk dollars, career and technical education, bilingual funding, school lunch reimbursements and adult education. She warned that missing scheduled state aid payments would “definitely impact our cash flow and our fund balance.”

Trustee Heinrich urged community members to contact their legislators, saying elected officials “actually listen” to constituents. Trustee Smith noted that state Representative Samantha Steckeloff has been working on these issues and encouraged residents to contact her to explain local priorities.

Why it matters: The delay in the state school‑aid appropriation limits district planning and creates potential cash‑flow stress that could affect program delivery in the fall. The board’s resolution is an advocacy step intended to press state leaders to complete appropriation work quickly.

What was decided: The board approved the resolution urging immediate passage of the Michigan school‑aid budget for FY 2025–26 and explicitly opposed linking school aid to other budget deals such as road funding.

Ending: Trustees asked residents to advocate with their elected state lawmakers and signaled that district staff will continue monitoring funding implications as analysis of state assessment data proceeds.