Dearest Readers,
Our journey through Michigan's school ledgers continues.
Oakland County has opened its books. Macomb County has surrendered its receipts.
And now, Lady Budgetdown turns her attention to **Wayne County**.
A comparison of Michigan Department of Education data from **2014–15 to 2024–25** reveals quite a decade for Wayne County's traditional public school districts.
And the ledger, as always, has much to say.
👥 **ENROLLMENT**
📉 Approximately **14,152 fewer students**
Yet while the number of students declined...
💰 **FUNDING FROM ALL SOURCES**
$2.284 BILLION → $3.598 BILLION
📈 **UP approximately $1.315 BILLION (+57.6%)**
And where did spending change?
📚 **TOTAL INSTRUCTION**
$1.317B → $2.003B
📈 **+$686.19 MILLION (+52.1%)**
🧑�🏫 **INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT**
$288.66M → $508.91M
📈 **+$220.25 MILLION (+76.3%)**
🏢 **BUSINESS & ADMINISTRATION**
$259.27M → $389.51M
📈 **+$130.24 MILLION (+50.2%)**
🔧 **OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE**
$233.69M → $398.88M
📈 **+$165.18 MILLION (+70.7%)**
🍎 **AVERAGE TEACHER SALARY**
Approximately $65,287 → $79,399
📈 **+$14,113 (+21.6%)**
So, Dearest Readers, the decade can be summarized rather simply:
👥 **Enrollment: DOWN approximately 14,152 students**
While...
💰 Funding: **+57.6%**
📚 Instruction: **+52.1%**
🧑�🏫 Instructional Support: **+76.3%**
🏢 Business & Administration: **+50.2%**
🔧 Operations & Maintenance: **+70.7%**
🍎 Average Teacher Salary: **+21.6%**
Now, increased spending does not, by itself, tell us whether money was spent wisely or poorly.
But when annual funding increases by approximately **$1.3 BILLION**, surely Society is entitled to ask a few questions.
Where did the additional money go?
Why did **instructional support grow 76.3%**?
Why did **operations and maintenance grow 70.7%**?
And with fewer students being served, are these substantially larger investments producing the educational results taxpayers were promised?
Lady Budgetdown does not object to spending money on education.
She simply believes that when the public purse opens wider, **the public deserves to see the receipts.**
After all, Dearest Readers...
**Money talks. But budgets speak even louder.**
🪶 *Lady Budgetdown*
**Source:** Michigan Department of Education, Bulletin 1014, 2014–15 and 2024–25.
*Figures represent the traditional Wayne County public school districts with usable financial data in both comparison years. Hamtramck financial data was excluded because 2024–25 financial figures were not submitted in time for Bulletin 1014. Financial totals are approximate and calculated using MDE-reported per-pupil figures multiplied by reported pupil FTE. Detroit is treated as a successor comparison from Detroit City School District to Detroit Public Schools Community District.*
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