Community Impact News + Updates

Kent County’s eighth-grade math proficiency has declined 6% over the past three years, mirroring reductions in state and federal funding in math and STEM education. This reflects a broader national challenge: uneven access to effective math instruction. The state ranks 31st nationally in eighth-grade math proficiency, with the largest gaps affecting students experiencing poverty, students of color, students with disabilities, and multilingual learners. 

To better understand the local impact of these funding reductions, KConnect partnered with Kent ISD and Grand Valley State University to analyze recent trends and develop a fact sheet detailing changes in math outcomes, economic impacts, and system implications. In Kent County today:

• Just 2 in 5 students are proficient in eighth-grade math
• Approximately 1 in 10 Black students (11.8%) are proficient
• Approximately 1 in 4 Latine students (20%) are proficient

Recent funding losses have impacted positions such as math coaches and STEM specialists that were previously supported through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program. Additional programs have lost funding entirely, including:

• Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA) Early Mathematics Project (Section 35a)
• Section 23h initiatives
• MiSTEM Network 

“The MiSTEM Regions and Collaboratives were not funded in Michigan’s 2025-2026 School Aid Budget,” said Ginger Rohwer, Experiential Learning Outreach & Partnership Manager, CLAS Center for Experiential Learning at Grand Valley State University, and former Regional Director of MiSTEM prior to its closure due to the funding cuts. “The West Michigan region joins two others that are now inactive, with another region director slated to leave this month. These losses reduce professional development for educators and limit student access to hands-on STEM learning, particularly in high-need districts.”

Reductions in math funding carry long-term economic consequences for the region and state, including:

• Reduced workforce quality and readiness
• Lower lifetime earning potential for individuals
• Widening achievement gaps
• Loss of tutoring and support programs
• Reduced state competitiveness 

“Michigan’s largest industries require graduates with strong mathematical foundations and transferable skills,” said Rusty Anderson, Project Director, Early Mathematics at MAISA, Educational Consultant at Kent ISD. “Without sustained funding, we risk shrinking the pipeline of qualified STEM professionals and weakening West Michigan’s economic future.” 

Marcus Deja, Math Consultant at Kent ISD, also supports continued funding for math initiatives. “Strategic math investment offers a path toward system-level coherence, allowing research-based practices to expand across districts rather than remaining limited to schools with greater resources,” 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently unveiled her FY2027 budget priorities, reaffirming a strong commitment to investing in literacy supports for students. “While the Governor’s proposed budget maintains important investments in education, it does not provide the same level of support for math as it does for other priorities,” said Salvador López, KConnect President & CEO. “For too long, math funding has remained uneven. Without deliberate and sustained investment, we risk widening achievement gaps and limiting long-term economic opportunity for our students and communities.”

To learn more about the impacts of reduced state math funding and what it means for student well-being and economic mobility, visit www.k-connect.org/resources.