Benton Harbor School Board demonstrators push for more funding

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. -- A grassroots effort is pushing for more school funding in Benton Harbor.

About two dozen demonstrators gathered outside Benton Harbor High School tonight, June 25, to demand financial commitments from state and local officials and to address challenges facing staff, students, and the district.

With the decline in enrollment and the end of multiple grants, advocates want to see more state dollars to ensure equal access to safe communities, mental health support, and culturally responsive curricula for today's students.

"So, our overall commitment around funding is to create a school to prosperity pipeline for our children, and to transform these communities so that our children can thrive," states Southwest Michigan organizer with We the People Michigan Angela Wilson Turnbull. 

The Benton Harbor School Board passed the budget for the 2024-2025 school year, and according to a staff report, this will be the first school year in at least a decade where the general fund will have a smaller balance at the end of the year than at the beginning of the year.