School buildings in Michigan need $22.8 billion in repairs or renovations over nine years, a new study of the state's public school infrastructure has found.
The Detroit Free Press reports that the study conducted by the School Finance Research Foundation arrived at that figure after auditors assessed more than 2,500 school buildings across the state between May 2023 and December 2024. District and state education leaders say the state desperately needs to create a sustained source of school infrastructure funding or risk student safety.
"We're not talking about trying to do things that are outlandish or expensive," said Jason Mellema, superintendent of the Ingham Intermediate School District. "We're talking about the basics. We're talking about safety. We're talking about infrastructure."
Michigan does not have a dedicated source of funding for school infrastructure, so districts often must rely on the wilingness of local voters to approve funding increases to address building issues. The result is an uneven playing field for school districts, where areas with wealthier tax bases are more likely to have the funds to pay for repairs.
Over 18 months, the School Finance Research Foundation analyzed building conditions and projected costs for repairs and upgrades needed over nine years. The analysts aimed to choose the most cost-effective option: repairing a facility or paying for a replacement.
The study found that districts would need $22.8 billion to be brought up "to a common standard of health, safety, and wellness through the year 2033."
About 23% of the estimated spending is needed for repairs in the next three years; 31% is needed in four to six years; and 46.2% is needed in seven to nine years.
The most needed repairs were for HVAC systems, which accounted for about 33% of the study's total estimated cost, or $7.5 billion. Roofing repairs were the second-highest need at 15.2% of the total estimated cost, or $3.4 billion.
"This was the first time we have taken a hard look at what it would cost to bring our school buildings up to standards that would support a safe, healthy learning environment," said Doug Leisenring, superintendent of the Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District.
Finding the money to meet the needs cited in the study will be difficult. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's proposed budget seeks to allocate $155 million in a school district infrastructure fund for improving school buildings.
If lawmakers approved that funding, a total of $430 million would be available in that fund. That would cover only about 2% of the full $22.8 billion outlined in the study and about 9% of the $5 billion needed for the most urgent needs.
