Northern Michigan educators express relief over approved education budget

LANSING — Michigan’s finalized education budget was signed into law Tuesday, to the relief of Northern Michigan superintendents.

The plan maintains most of the state’s large spending items, including tens of millions for school meals , transportation and mental health.

“It could have been a lot worse,” said Tom McKee, superintendent of Rudyard Area Schools.

The budget also comes more than three months after lawmakers were supposed to finalize their plans and school districts had to adopt budgets based on their best guesses.

“We are are happy to have a budget now, and we’re figuring out what we’re working with,” said Katy Xenakis-Makowski, superintendent of Johannesburg-Lewiston Area Schools. “It was really unfortunate that it was done so late.”

Northern Michigan educators say th