Whitmer’s 2027 Budget Leaves Out $5 Million for Flint Water Crisis School Programs, Raising Questions About What Funding Is Left

Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed 2027 budget does not include the roughly $5 million per year that has gone since 2020 to Flint and Genesee County school districts for programs supporting students affected by the Flint water crisis, money used for academic and behavioral health interventions tied to lead exposure. While the state has been the primary source of this funding, schools do have limited alternate support through a separate special education settlement that includes about $9.69 million from the State of Michigan and about $2 million from Genesee County, along with philanthropic programs like the Flint Kids Fund that support child health and development but are not direct replacements for the annual school allocation.

School leaders say losing the yearly state funding could mean cutting services students still rely on, even though alternate funds exist and are more limited, targeted, or temporary by design.

Should the state restore the $5 million, or should Flint and Genesee County schools now rely on settlement and philanthropic funding instead?