MIRS News: Superintendents Want School Funding With Fewer Grants They Need To Apply For

On this week's episode of the MIRS Monday Podcast, MASA Executive Director Tina KERR explained if school officials don't see a grant having a significant impact on their resources, or there's no guarantee they'll receive one, "a lot of them won't write (a grant proposal) because they just don't have the time, and that's what's sad." 

On Oct. 9, Launch Michigan – an education reform nonprofit to whose board Kerr belongs  – uploaded its "Grants Clock" database (See "New Grants Clock Calls For Quicker Distribution Of Funds," 10/9/2024). 

The database will monitor the distribution of 99 grants – separate from the per-pupil foundation allowances that school districts budget around – altogether worth $3.8 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. 

Of those grants, Launch Michigan identifies $275 million worth of competitive grants for which school districts must submit proposals. 

This story was originally published in MIRS on 10/23/24 and written by Samantha Shriber. Listen to the full conversation on the MIRS Monday podcast here.