Equitably taxing the wealthiest in Michigan could mean millions more every year for Grand Rapids students and teachers: Where do I sign up?
The Trump Administration is threatening to close the Department of Education, and the State of Michigan is not providing an adequate amount of funds for public schools. For those who care about public education, the current political climate seems bleak… or does it?
What if there were a statewide campaign that prioritized funding for public education, changing the tax structure so that Michigan’s wealthiest households paid their fair share in taxes? Look no further. The Urban Core Collective is partnering with education justice groups across the state to kick off a ballot initiative that would significantly alter the Michigan tax structure to provide additional funding for public education.
Michigan households have an inequitable effective tax rate–or the percent of income a family pays in taxes. Families with incomes in the lowest 20% pay the highest effective tax rate at 10.4%, while households with incomes in the highest 20% pay only 6.2% (learn more here and here). This inequity has implications for all Michigan families, and we have an opportunity to change this structure.
There are 12 billionaires and 236,858 millionaires in Michigan. Imagine if these people were paying their fair share of state taxes? Unlike everyday people, members of the billionaire and millionaire classes would not be struggling financially if Michigan had a fair tax structure. For instance, according to the most recent Forbes billionaire listing, Doug, Hank and Mark Meijer are collectively worth $22.2 billion. Imagine how much additional tax revenue could be generated if people like this paid their fair share?
One of the members of the UCC Education Justice Team recently shared their thoughts about why a statewide ballot initiative to change the tax structure is so important for Michigan, stating:
“This ballot initiative is important because federal funding for public education is under attack from the current administration. Additionally, Michigan has underfunded public education for decades. As a result, our schools and students are struggling, particularly students in districts with high rates of poverty, students with disabilities, students learning English, and rural students. If Michigan funded education at the rate leading states do, GRPS could [provide] resources to pay teachers more, to repair buildings, to provide students with more creative and experiential learning opportunities, and so much more.”
The Grand Rapids Public School budget for 2024-2025 is $271 million. Imagine if the Grand Rapids Public Schools had an additional $30 million to invest in students and teachers. Imagine what a difference this could make in the lives of GRPS students, the very people we always refer to as our future.
If you think generating additional funding for the Grand Rapids Public Schools would be beneficial, then we are excited to welcome you to learn more about the statewide education revenue ballot initiative. On Wednesday, April 16th, from 6:30pm - 8:00pm, UCC is hosting an event titled Responding to Public School Funding Threats: Education Town Hall at the Cook Library Center, located at 1100 Cesar E. Chavez Ave SW, in Grand Rapids.
At this meeting you can learn about the impact of federal education cuts, and how a statewide ballot initiative could be one way to address them. You will also get the chance to hear about how you can get involved in the work needed to move Michigan from a regressive to a progressive tax structure. It's time that the wealthiest people pay their fair share and it's time that Michigan students get the resources they need to have a quality education. RSVP for the Education Town Hall here by April 14.
