"The right to criticize government is also an obligation to know what you are talking about."

-Lent Upson, first director of Citizens Research Council

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November 7, 2025

The 39th edition of the "Outline of the Michigan Tax System" will be available on the Citizen Research Council's website on Monday, November 10: www.crcmich.org/research

Changes in “At-risk” Student Counts Across Districts, FY2025-FY2026

Source: Center for Educational Performance and Information; Citizens Research Council calculations

IN A NUTSHELL

 -- Michigan’s new K-12 budget provides a massive funding increase to local school districts for supplemental academic services for low-income and other students deemed at-risk of poor educational outcomes..

 -- The Fiscal Year (FY)2026 School Aid budget represents a missed opportunity for policymakers to tie accountability and fiscal transparency improvements to a huge funding bump provided to local districts serving “at-risk” students.

 -- Policymakers should consider how to leverage future state investments in “at-risk” funding to move districts toward adoption of student-based budgeting systems to better ensure parents and the public that dedicated state dollars are making their way to the schools with the greatest needs.

Other Recent Council Briefs:

• It is Time to Revisit Michigan's Revenue Sharing Programs
• Revisiting the 1998 Seminal Bolt Decision
• Regulation of Large Livestock Farms is Not Working for Farmers or the Environment

Mary Sheffield will be Detroit’s new mayor. Here are some of her top priorities, Outlier Media (November 4)

‘It’s gross’: Whitmer criticizes state budget pork spending process, Detroit News (November 3)

What’s fueling school districts to request up to $425M in bonds for building needs, Detroit News (November 2)

Report: New budget’s at-risk funding increased, but oversight of how it works didn’t, Gongwer (November 2)

A Discussion On Potential Ballot Proposals, WTCM Newstalk 580 (November 1)

How Detroit’s mayoral hopefuls would overhaul city’s high property tax system, Detroit News (November 1)

Counties can Counteract Federal Health Changes, Michigan Counties (October 2025)

Research group says Michigan’s new road funding plan has some issues, but “certainly can’t hurt”, Michigan Public (October 29)

“What are the powers the new candidates actually have to raise wages in the city?”, Outlier Media (Oct. 29)

Michigan budget exempts overtime, tips and Social Security from state taxes, 9&10 News (Oct. 28)

Businesses fund Whitmer’s overseas travel while getting billions in taxpayer incentives, Detroit News (October 26)

New Michigan road plan promises billions to bring smoother drive: Here’s how, Detroit Free Press (October 25)

CRC: Revenue sharing programs need a review, consider changes, Gongwer News (October 24)

Majority of Detroiters support admissions tax for concerts, sporting events, poll says, Detroit News (October 24)

New Michigan road plan promises billions to bring smoother drive: Here’s how, Detroit Free Press (October 24)

Flood touts budget deal, defends moves on higher ed funding, cannabis tax, Gongwer News (October 24)

Op-Ed: Rethink the $1 per-ticket surcharge proposed on DCFC tickets, Bridge Detroit (October 23)

Citizens Research Council: Six Things You Should Know about State Budget, Michigan Business Network (October 22)

The numbers don’t lie, or they do? Hall insists FY ’26 budget smaller, more cuts coming next year, Gongwer (October 22)