LANSING, MI (AP)-- Michigan lawmakers have given initial approval to a school budget that boosts spending by 4 percent and prohibits the state from replacing its standardized test next year with one developed by a group of states.
The bill approved 4-1 Tuesday by a House-Senate conference committee is expected to win final legislative approval this week.
Per-pupil funding for K-12 districts will rise at least $50 next fiscal year, with the lowest-funded districts getting a $175 increase. The minimum per-student grant will rise from $7,076 to $7,251.
Legislators balked at plans to give tests developed by Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, a group of states developing companion tests to the Common Core standards.
The bill instead calls for Michigan to create a new Michigan Education Assessment Program, or MEAP, test for next year.