Michigan superintendents tell House subcommittee delays and grant rules push dollars and time away from classrooms

The House appropriations subcommittee on school aid approved its June 11 minutes by unanimous consent and heard more than three hours of testimony from superintendents and school leaders on Wednesday about how state budget timing, grant design and duplicative reporting affect district operations.

Superintendents said late or changing guidance on competitive grants, overlapping personnel reports and new or retargeted categorical rules reduce time and funds available for direct student services and planning. Patrick O'Rourke, superintendent of Fowler Public Schools, said the district spent months adjusting after literacy grant guidance arrived after his application and payments were delayed into the next fiscal cycle.

“The application didn't come out till January. It was due in February. Then updated guidance came in March, and a memo in May said the dollars would be delayed until June 20,” O'Rourke said. “That puts us in a real bad spot when you have expenditures that don't match revenues.”

Why it matters: Small and rural districts told lawmakers the administrative cost of complying with shifting grant rules and duplicate state reports takes staff away from classrooms. That can delay purchases of curriculum, professional development and hires such as counselors or bus drivers, speakers said.

What superi…