Farmington Public Schools math: 9.2% spending hike equals flat state funding

A Michigan public school official recently said her district gets inadequate funding, but state data show that the district has received steady spending increases even as it loses students.

“Funding has remained flat even when you look at inflation,” Kelly Coffin, superintendent of Farmington Public Schools, told WXYX-TV in an interview that aired Feb. 10. “We’re just not keeping up with the needs of our students and families.”

Coffin supports a proposed 1.5 mill tax to benefits local school districts. The millage would go before voters in August if enough districts in Oakland County sign on.

Federal and state funding numbers indicate Farmington Public Schools received funding increases in the last half-decade.

The district's general fund increased from $172.2 million in 2019-20 to $176.2 million in 2024-25, when adjusted for inflation. That’s according to the district's audited annual reports. That five-year period included the COVID era, when districts across the nation were flooded with federal support.

The district received $4.2 million in federal money in 2019-20. In 2022-23, that amount jumped to $10.2 million. Federal funding was down to $5.2 million in the 2024-25 year. Those numbers are adjusted for inflation.

The district also received increased state funding, which went from $97.1 million in 2019-20 to $101.2 million in 2022-23. State funding reached $106.3 million in 2024-25. Those numbers were also adjusted for inflation.

School funding in Michigan follows a complicated mix of revenue sources, but the district has been receiving more taxpayer support from all sources. Over the years, it has served a dwindling number of students.

Staffing at Farmington Public Schools increased by 126 full-time jobs from 2019-2- to 2024-25, going from 1,232.63 employees to 1,358.87 employees in 2024-25. During that same five-year period, enrollment declined by 318 students, dropping from 9,461 to 9,143.

Coffin did not respond to an email seeking comment. WXYZ did not include a timeline or specifics on what kind of funding — such as state, federal or total — Coffin had in mind.

Farmington Public Schools is not an outlier. School districts around Michigan have lost students and increased the number of employees, while receiving regular funding increases.

Across Michigan, full-time employees in K-12 schools increased from 204,927 to 225,700 from 2019 to 2024-25. The number of students has dropped from 1.5 million to 1.4 million over that time span, according to the state of Michigan.

And total K-12 school funding (including local, state and federal sources) increased from $26.6 billion in 2019-20 to $30.5 billion in 2024-25, when adjusted for inflation.

Public school funding has only increased since 2019-20.