‘Years Of Budget Cuts?’ Dearborn Schools Funding Increases $957 Per Student, Even After Inflation

The Gander Newsroom is one of many new media organizations that have a noticeable political bias.

The Gander is owned by Courier Newsroom, which says its mission is to do “credible, fact-based journalism.” Courier Newsroom says, “The media ecosystem in our country has changed and has led to rampant disinformation that has influenced millions of people, causing widespread distrust in our democratic institutions. ...”

On Feb. 23, The Gander published an article by Keva Vakil, a Los Angeles-based writer. In it, Vakil claimed a teacher in the Dearborn Public Schools had continued to work “despite years of budget cuts and inequitable funding.”

The article quotes Dearborn teacher Zeinab Chami saying the state’s public education system is “in desperate need of more funding, not less, in order to meet the needs of the 90% of Michigan students who attend public schools.”

The Gander repeats teachers union talking points by stating, “A coalition of right-wing politicians, donors, and activists are exploiting real issues surrounding students’ mental health, an exodus of teachers from the workforce, and educational inequities to decimate Michigan’s public schools.”

Notwithstanding its owner’s claims of accuracy, The Gander Newsroom fell far short on this article.

State funding for Dearborn’s public school district increased from $121.6 million in the 2009-10 school year to $192.2 million in 2021-22. (Neither figure includes local or federal money.) When adjusted for inflation, that translates to an additional $957 per pupil over a 12-year period. It’s hard to call that record one of “years of budget cuts and inequitable funding.” And on top of the state funding, Dearborn’s public school district will receive $140.5 million in additional federal COVID relief money.