Number of public-school employees reaches 18-year high

Michigan K-12 public schools have more employees now than at any point in the last 18 years, according to the state’s Center for Educational Performance and Information. The number of students decreased by more than 180,000 over that period. The spike in headcount was largely a byproduct of a hiring spree during Gov. Whitmer’s COVID-era lockdowns.

Public schools employed 381,571 people in the 2024-25 school year, according to MI School Data, operated by the state of Michigan. By comparison, Michigan public schools had 338,216 employees in the 2007-08 year, the earliest year for which online records are available. The extra 33,355 employees represents an increase of nearly 10%.

Public schools shed more than 180,000 students during that same time, but taxpayers got no relief from the reduced workload as the state hired up during its reaction to COVID-19.

Whitmer announced in December 2021 that Michigan would spend $240 million in state revenue for schools to hire another 560 psychologists, social workers, counselors and nurses to address student mental health concerns during pandemic-era school closures.

Mental health is not the only driver of costs, however. Michigan also had 117,002 public school teachers in 2024-25. That's the highest number of teachers since 2007-08.

Some districts have increased their hiring while others now have fewer teachers. The East Lansing School District grew from 422 employees in 2018-19 to 733 in 2024-25. Its teaching staff increased from 223 in 2018-19 to 354 in 2024-25. Enrollment during those six years also went up, going from 3,607 students to 3,728.

Livonia Public Schools, however, has seen an enrollment decline from 14,184 in 2018-19 to 13,153. Its workforce increased from 2,617 in 2018-19 to 2,692 in 2024-25. The number of teachers jumped from 953 to 1,008 over those six years.

The state’s largest school district, the Detroit Public Schools Community District, saw a slight decrease in enrollment and a slight increase in employment. Detroit had 7,649 employees in 2018-19 and 7,891 in 2024-25. Enrollment, however, dropped by 1,138 students to 49,038 in 2024-25.

The school system used money from a 2020 settlement with the state to hire more employees. Michigan lawmakers approved a $94 million payment as part of a settlement in a right-to-learn lawsuit filed against the state. Detroit school officials used that money to hire more teachers’ aides as well as more teachers.

K-12 schools were able to hire more teachers because school funding increased dramatically.

The sum of state and federal funding for K-12 schools jumped from $14.8 billion in 2018-19 to $21.2 billion in 2025-26, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency. When adjusted for changes in the Consumer Price Index, the amount for 2018-19 is $19.2 billion.

The Michigan Department of Education and the Michigan Education Association did not respond to requests for comment.