Parents in Ferndale Learn About School Funding and Education Advocacy
(Crystal A. Proxmire, May 6, 2025)
Ferndale, MI – School funding can be a complicated topic, and it can be hard to know how to advocate for investment in education if people don’t understand the ins and outs of where money comes from and how it can be spent. On top of that, ever-changing mandates and priorities from the federal level can leave parents and educators uncertain about the future of public education.
On April 30 over 100 parents and concerned community members gathered at the Ferndale Schools administration building and online to learn about these topics, with Superintendent Camille Hibbler and a slew of parents, students, activists, and even a County Commissioner sharing pieces of the puzzle. The Townhall was co-hosted by Ferndale PTA Advocacy Committee, Ferndale Middle and High School PTO, FECC PTO, and Friends of Royal Oak Township.
The evening started by asking parents to put their concerns on sticky notes. Some of the mentions included the removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, special education funding, staff burn out, protecting libraries, early childhood education, teacher retention, and access to supplies and books.
“We could be here all night talking about this stuff,” said one of the parent moderators. “You’re not alone in your concern.”
Superintendent Hibbler said “It’s important to know your rights as students, parents, and educators. There has been a direct attack on our students. There has been an attack on our transgender students. There has been an attack on our diverse students.”
Hibbler called federal mandates against DEI “shenanigans” and said that in Michigan the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Law means that in Michigan people are still protected against discrimination. And the law also protects school districts that chose to support diverse student populations. “Elliott Larsen, in Michigan, is the law we stand on.”
But what does that mean for Ferndale students?
Hibbler explained that in Ferndale, “Inclusion is when no child has to worry about belonging.”
She said that means making sure that “our students can see themselves in our libraries.” Literature includes people of many different backgrounds, family types, sexual orientations and gender identities. “That is a commitment we have already made and will continue to do so.”
The district also prohibits immigration enforcement officers from entering school buildings. “ICE can’t come here. Not here. Not in Ferndale Schools,” Hibbler said. “If ICE wants something they can come here to this building with a warrant, where there’s no kids.”
Jasmine Bolton is a civil rights litigator and a former US Department of Education employee. “There’s been a lot in the news about the downsizing of the Department of Ed,” she said. She shared that the Federal government provides about 13% of the funding in Michigan, and that federal funding goes to students with the most need, particularly those in low-income districts. Cuts to the US Dept. of Education also could impact the USDA’s free and reduced school lunches.
“The Office of Civil Rights is also in the US Dept. of Ed, so staffing cuts make it harder to file complaints and it may take longer for complaints to be investigated. But in Michigan you have really robust Civil Rights laws, so you are still protected.”
She added that while some in Washington may want to eliminate the Department of Education, it’s not likely to happen. “The Department of Ed is created by statute, so it won’t likely disappear. It can be damaged, but not disappeared.” She advised that all districts “Do what you can to make sure that the Federal government is not the backstop” for funding needs.
County Commissioner Charlie Cavell, who represents Dist. 19 including Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge, talked about taxes. He explained that in 1994 Proposal A changed how school funding worked across the state and put in place the system of funding Michigan has today.
“Before Prop A, school funding was mostly local. Each community was different in funding,” Cavell said. Some districts had well-funded schools while neighboring districts chose not to make those investments, and in the case of Kalkaska Schools, the schools simply closed because residents voted against taxes to support the district.
Proposal A’s intent was to make sure that schools had a basic level of funding. Now funding goes to the state (from a variety of sources including income tax, part of sales tax, lottery funds, etc), and is reallocated back to districts based on the number of students they have. The per pupil funding model means there is basic funding, however the proposal also means that local districts (with only a few exceptions) cannot raise local-level taxes to fund educational expenses.
This change, Cavell explained, is part of why districts have begun charging parents fees for extracurriculars like sports, and why groups like Parent Teacher Organizations have fundraisers to pay for basic educational tools.
While they can’t ask taxpayers for more operating funds, districts can ask for bonds for buildings. Ferndale has one such proposal on the May 6 ballot, for example.
The per-pupil allocation has not been working, Superintendent Hibbler said. “Our schools are receiving $4 billion less per year in 2022 than what was provided in 2024 [adjusted for inflation].”
Cavell argued that the disinvestment in education is part of a bigger plan. “This is all intentional so they can say public schools don’t work,” he said. “They want you to do what they did in Texas and Florida do which is to issue vouchers and send money towards private schools. This is to eliminate democracy.”
Cavell encouraged people to look into proposals that increase taxes for those who make more money, and to use that money to fund things like education. He noted that 27 states have graduated income tax.
Given the funding that school districts have, how is the Ferndale school district using the resources it does have? Superintendent Hibbler explained that 47% of the money is spent on salaries. 32.7% is spent on benefits. 12.4% is spent on purchased services. 3.7% is spent on supplies. And 4.1% is spent on capital outlay and other expenses. The district has a budget of $49,213,170.
Hibbler said that in order to be “fully funded” the district would need $8.3 million more per year. “We’re not getting enough,” she said. “There are 28 districts in Oakland County. Ferndale is in the bottom 10 as far as funding.”
Hibbler shared that the School District is governed by the School Board. Current members are President Sandra Dukhie, Vice President Lisa Kaiser, Secretary Jonathan Turner, Treasurer Jackie Hart, David Crumrine, Mark de la Vergne, and Erin Molnar. Their role is to oversee the budget, set policies for the district, and supervise the Superintendent. Learn more about Ferndale Schools at www.ferndaleschools.org.
