Clinton looks forward to increased per-pupil funding, free school meals

Superintendent Kevin Beazley

By BRAD HEINEMAN

Clinton Local

Clinton Community Schools and other school districts across the state of Michigan very well could have breathed a collective sigh of relief earlier this month when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the state’s governmental budget for 2026 into law.

The state’s budget — and legislators’ delays in reaching a consensus until Oct. 7 — became a regular talking point for Clinton schools Superintendent Kevin Beazley throughout the last handful of months.

In September, as the budget had not yet been approved, Beazley — speaking to the Clinton Board of Education — provided a stark reality for how the absence of a statewide budget could affect Michigan schools.

“For schools that don’t have any money in the bank, that makes it tough for them,” Beazley said. “Some schools just might have to borrow money moving forward until the feds or the state come up with a budget.”

Clinton is not in that situation.

“We are good,” Beazley said. “…We’re still able to pay our bills.”

During the school board’s October meeting, Beazley said he was happy to report that there was a concrete number delivered by the state through its newly-approved budget — that being $10,050 — which is the per-pupil amount of funding allotted for schools in the state.

The rest of the legislative budget remains “up in the air still,” Beazley commented.

“We kind of have a budget but we are still in a holding pattern,” he relayed to the school board. “The thing that is different this year than other years is basically the state is giving more money per-pupil while grants this year are all competitive, which means we have to go out and go after them. It’s a good thing and a bad thing. It’s just a lot of work here. It’s no problem for our business office, we’ll be doing that.”

When the state’s government budget was finalized and approved Oct. 7, it brought an end to months of uncertainty. Whitmer and legislative leaders in Lansing were unable to finalize a budget by an Oct. 1 deadline but managed to quickly pass a continuation spending bill to avoid a possible government shutdown.

The new budget is $81 billion that pledges new money for roads, free school meals and more, according to a summary provided by Bridge Michigan.

“The budget includes $201.6 million to cover meals for students who don’t qualify for no-cost programs through the federal government,” Bridge Michigan said.

The $10,050 in per-pupil funding for Michigan schools is an increase from the previous amount of $9,608. There is also $341 million allotted for mental health and safety grants that are available to both public and private schools.

Even while the state’s budget was in flux, Clinton schools made sure its teachers were getting what they needed to operate successful classrooms, Beazley said.

“Other than that, we’re awaiting budgetary decisions so that we can make recommendations for facility improvements,” he said.

School bond projects ‘are winding down’

Speaking of facility improvements, the Clinton schools campus — after undergoing several changes, enhancements and relocation as an effect of the 2021 bond proposal — is almost complete when it comes to wrapping up any and all bond-related construction.

Over the last few months, facilities director Jack Hartung has said the district is “chasing warranty and punch list stuff” when it comes to completing the bond projects.

In September, the middle school office staff moved into their completed office space. By October, it was learned that some project details stalled and needed to be pushed back a bit — more towards the Christmas and winter break.

The district has run into a few bug and hiccups along the way, including with HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), most of it programming-related, Hartung said.

“We are winding down,” he reported, noting that bond financials are going to be presented within the next couple of months. “…We don’t see a lot of contractors here now.

“We’re nearing the finish line, I promise.”

Annual audit finds no issues with Clinton’s finances

In September, Clinton schools learned its internal controls of school finances and documentation for the 2024-25 financial audit were awarded an “effective” rating and a clean opinion across the board “with no difficulties encountered.”

“We found no issues with the finances,” an auditing report from Haven Group, Certified Public Accountants & Advisers, said. “We also issued a clean opinion on internal controls.”

Most of the district’s financial activity is recorded from its general fund but other non-major government funds consist of the food service, debt service and capital projects funds.

The internal control letter from the auditing agency assess the design, operation and effectiveness of a school district’s financial internal controls, “and we have concluded that they are operating effectively.”

It was also learned that Clinton’s financial health is in very good standing with a 52% fund balance as compared to 49% during the previous financial audit.

If a fund balance is less than 5% the state will take over the school’s finances. If the fund balance is within 5-8% the state starts to closely monitor a school’s finances. A fund balance at or above 15% is considered ideal.

Clinton’s general fund had $17 million in total revenue and the general fund balance was approximately $29 million. These two numbers are important, the auditors said, because they help the Michigan Department of Education valuate the health of a school district.