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$23 Billion Investment in Michigan School Buildings Needed, Report Says
April 21, 2025
LANSING – A nearly $23 billion investment is necessary to carry out much-needed infrastructure work in schools across Michigan over 10 years, according to a recent presentation to the State Board of Education.
The report, produced by Plante Moran Realpoint and in collaboration with Barton Malow Builders, overseen by the School Finance Research Foundation, focuses on school facility heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; plumbing; roofing; fire prevention; and electrical service needs.
In 2023, state lawmakers passed into law Section 11y of the State School Aid Act to provide funding for a comprehensive statewide school facility study. The School Finance Research Foundation recently delivered the 336-page report to the state House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on School Aid, state budget director, House and Senate fiscal agencies, and the Michigan Department of Education.
Ninety-three percent of the schools identified participated in the study. Traditional public schools participated in the study.
“This study only looked at health, safety, and wellness components of K-12 instructional school buildings,” and did not include other potential costs, including technology equipment, administrative, athletic, playground or transportation facilities. It also does not address replacing interior finishes, parking lots or other instructional buildings dedicated to preschool or adult education, or modernizing building configurations to meet current instructional practices," said Mr. Steven Ezikian, executive director, School Finance Research Foundation. He was joined during the presentation to the State Board of Education by Dr. Diane Golzynski, deputy superintendent of the Michigan Department of Education Division of Business, Health, and Library Services.
The study was conducted over a period of 18 months and included over 243 million square feet of school building space. The determined costs were identified over a 10-year period. In terms of critical need in the next 1-3 years, $5.3 billion is required; in terms of near-term need in the next 4-6 years, $6.9 billion is necessary; and in terms of long-term need in the next 7-9 years, $10.5 billion is necessary.
“As educational leaders in Michigan, the health, safety, and wellness of our students is our top priority—the conditions of the schools and facilities where our students learn, grow, and compete are equally important to support a safe learning environment where everyone can thrive,” said Dr. Daveda Colbert, superintendent of the Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency. “The data collected for this report will not only provide districts with detailed building-level information that can further inform their decision-making, but continue to contribute towards the state’s understanding of the true costs of educating our students. We look forward to working with our state lawmakers to ensure that schools have the funding they need to modernize and maintain their buildings, based on this historic study and its findings.”
State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice spoke highly of the report and its findings.
“Strong learning environments include not just great staff, top-notch instructional materials, and modern technology but also buildings that are in good repair, with frequent air exchange and a reasonable temperature throughout the year,” said Dr. Rice. “The report and its findings are consistent with Goal 3 of Michigan's Top 10 Strategic Education Plan and make a major contribution to our understanding of school district capital needs.”
Dr. Rice expressed appreciation for the improvement of school funding over the last three years, particularly the historic increases in fiscal years 2023 and 2024, but indicated that public schools remained underfunded by billions of dollars relative to the recommendations of the 2018 School Finance Research Collaborative study. He said a statewide referendum—which would involve members of the public collecting petition signatures to put a vote on the ballot—is needed to address the state’s school building needs and to increase the number of teachers, particularly in early elementary grades; support staff; and mental health staff.
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