Group launches ballot initiative to fund public schools by taxing wealthy Michiganders

Underfunded public schools continue to be a political football in the Michigan Legislature, but a new coalition announced Thursday has a potential solution: taxing wealthy Michiganders and using the money to pay for schools.

The coalition, Invest in MI Kids, is seeking to place a proposal on the November 2026 ballot that would change the Michigan Constitution’s flat tax rate of 4.25% for individuals earning more than $500,000 and couples earning more than $1 million, increasing that to a surcharge of 5% on their income in state taxes.

Invest in MI Kids noted in a news release that currently, average Michiganders – including the state’s own teachers – and billionaires pay the same rate.

The state’s schools are estimated to be underfunded at $4 billion to $5 billion annually, the coalition said. The ballot measure, which needs 600,000 signatures to be placed on the statewide ballot in the next election cycle, would direct new revenue to Michigan’s School Aid Fund and allow funding for things like career and technical education, attracting and retaining teachers, and reducing class sizes. That would have a positive impact on underfunded and underserved communities, the coalition added, with the revenue estimated to generate $1.7 billion annually for public K-12 schools.




https://michiganadvance.com/2025/06/05/group-launches-ballot-initiative-to-fund-public-schools-by-taxing-wealthy-michiganders/