Student Advocacy Center is thrilled to be supporting the Invest In Mi Kids ballot initiative and hope you will join with us to make a BIG difference in our children’s education.
First, what am I talking about? We are working with folks around Michigan on changing the state constitution (which requires a whole lot of petition signatures + YES votes in November 2026) to start a NEW TAX to raise $$$ restricted for local school classrooms! This would be a new income tax on the wealthiest 2% of Michiganders and the new tax would ONLY apply to their income OVER $500,000 or $1 million for joint filers.
So why is SAC involved? As you know, we spend time in classrooms across southeast Michigan and support families around the state. We advocate that schools be more responsive and supportive, especially to students with disabilities or those experiencing foster care or homelessness. But that can be really challenging when teachers are leaving for higher paid jobs or your buildings are crumbling or you don’t have funds for social workers or counselors or art or school buses.
We couldn’t help but wonder why our schools were struggling financially so much! But the research and data makes it really clear:
- High quality research shows that Michigan is underfunding public schools by close to $5 billion (School Research Funding Collaborative, School Finance Research Collaborative). And that was before federal funding slashes.
- Revenue for public education in Michigan has fallen for decades. In fact, our schools were receiving $4 billion less PER YEAR in 2022 than what was provided in 2004.
- A robust amount of research shows that money matters in school outcomes like graduation rates, especially when it’s targeted to low-income students.
- While Michigan reacted to the decline of the auto industry by cutting taxes and public services, Massachusetts took action in the 1960s and 70s after facing the decline of the ship building, fishing and textile industries that had been the economic base. They focused on education and boosting technology businesses in a bipartisan way. And now their investment in public schools makes them a top state for education.
I don’t know about you, but I want our Michigan kids to have the same opportunities as kids in Massachusetts. I want them to thrive in safe, vibrant schools. I want them to be supported and challenged — and to leave high school with a path for economic security. Plus, I want our teachers and other school staff to feel supported and appreciated as they mold our young leaders.
Michigan’s tired playbook from the last 30 years isn’t working. We’ve tried decades of inadequate funding, rapid expansion of charters and community school closure, privatization and high-stakes accountability with no real support.
I’ve watched the charter schools come and go. I’ve watched neighborhood schools — treasured community hubs — close. I’ve watched transportation options shrink and chronic absenteeism skyrocket. I’ve seen smart, hardworking educators grappling with how to fill critical openings. And I’ve worked with my team to fill the gaps when children tell me they nowhere to go for mental health or academic support.
Our children — our communities — deserve and demand much more. Public schools are a REQUIRED bedrock of a thriving democracy. We MUST invest or we all pay the consequences.
With growing income inequality in our country, WHERE we raise the needed money for public schools matters. So many folks are really struggling. Grocery prices are going up. Housing prices are going up.
That’s why we crafted Invest In MI Kids the way we did. This tax doesn’t cost 98% of Michiganders a penny. Those who make less than $500,000 (or $1 million for joint filers) won’t pay any more.
And that’s a good thing, considering the top 1% are paying the smallest percentage of their total income to state and local taxes. Check this out:
Invest In MI Kids smartly crafts a solution that doesn’t touch that 1st $500,000 (or $1 million) of income. We all need that to pay for groceries, rent and basic needs, right? But if you make more than that, you would pay a 5% tax only on that additional income — and it would be reserved ONLY for local schools (subject to annual audits).
Here is an example:
- Mary is a single woman who makes $600,000 a year
- Fair share surcharge: ($600,000-$500,000) x 5% = $5,000 for our schools
We are estimating that this new dedicated tax would raise more than $1.5 billion. This is still short of what we need, according to the bi-partisan School Finance Research Collaborative, but it’s a positive start.
Before we encourage you to sign up to volunteer, I want to say one more thing. Here at SAC, we know better than most that money alone doesn’t improve public schools. But it’s an absolutely critical ingredient.
Unfortunately, the very people who say we need better schools (and in the past said we need more funding) have no ideas on the HOW. It’s certainly easier to keep pointing out problems, than working together on community solutions with impact.
But there is enough of us around the state ready to roll up our sleeves and act on the very clear research. We are ready to build the schools our communities deserve. And we’re in it for the long haul.Are you with us?
Sign up today to collect signatures: www.investinmikids.org