We applaud lawmakers in Lansing for passing a state budget before schools’ budget years begin on July 1.

Schools will know how much money the state will give them per student — $458 more per student than they got last year — before the 2023-24 school year begins, giving school administrators more confidence as they craft their own spending plans.

We also applaud lawmakers for many of the investments they made into Michigan as a whole that will benefit Northeast Michigan, including the increase in per-pupil funding for K-12 schools, a 4.7% increase in the appropriation to Alpena Community College, a $19.6 million increase to the state revenue shared with cities, villages, and townships, and a $17.6 million increase in revenue sharing for counties, including a set-aside for public safety initiatives.

The budget also includes some investments directly into Northeast Michigan, including $1.9 million into an expansion at the Holcim Alpena port and $2.6 million that will go partly to adding a new Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly site in Alpena. That program helps seniors receive medical care at home.

However, some projects that would have benefitted Northeast Michigan got pulled from the budget.

Lawmakers removed from the budget money that could have led to the creation of a new veterans cemetery in Presque Isle County. Lawmakers also rejected Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s request for $5 million to help manage bovine tuberculosis in Alpena, Montmorency, Alcona, and Oscoda counties.

We would have liked to have seen those projects funded, and we think the state could have afforded it in their $81.7 billion budget.

So, overall, the budget is good for Northeast Michigan. Local cities, villages, townships, counties, and schools will get more money. A couple local projects will get state money. But it could have been better.