Molly Sweeney, organizing director of 482Forward, a member of the Invest in MI Kids ballot proposal coalition tells reporters the group plans to begin circulating petitions. (Photo By Kyle Davidson | Michigan Advance)

The 2026 ballot will not include a proposal from Invest in MI Kids, which was advocating for what it called a modest 5% surcharge on income over $1 million, or $500,000 for individuals, to invest directly in Michigan’s public schools.

In a news release issued late Thursday, the committee said it was dropping its efforts for that question to appear on ballots this year. Invest in MI Kids said that it would be eyeing the 2028 cycle instead, with work resuming in 2027.

“This was not an easy decision. We are extraordinarily proud of the volunteer team we have built. We are inspired by the thousands of Michiganders who dedicated their time and energy to this campaign, gathering nearly 250,000 signatures,” said Rachelle Crow-Hercher, president of the Invest in MI Kids Steering committee, in a statement. “However, we owe it to our volunteers to be realistic about what is achievable to qualify for the ballot this year, and we unfortunately do not see a path forward to getting the signatures we need to make the ballot in 2026.”

The group noted that its attempt to get such a question on the ballot was a first, and that a similar effort in Massachusetts took three tries before it was successful.

Volunteer enthusiasm was high, the committee said, despite its decision to ultimately suspend the campaign.

“We always knew that we were going to face strong headwinds from billionaires who don’t want to pay their fair share,” Crow-Hercher said. “But the dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers over the past few months has been truly inspirational. At a time when working people are struggling to pay their rising bills, Michiganders from Detroit to Houghton came together to organize for a world where Michigan students come before billionaires’ yachts.”

The proposal would have added the surcharge, which would have directly paid for Michigan public schools. Under the current tax scheme, billionaires and teachers pay the same tax rate, and the committee argued that its proposal would help reduce class sizes, retain and recruit educators, and help continue to spur career and technical education.

“Our work is far from over. We know that our schools and our communities are going to be facing serious cuts in the next couple of years,” Crow-Hercher said. “But there are brave and committed people in every county across this state who are ready to stand up and fight for a better future. We built this campaign to create a lasting movement beyond any one election year. We’re just getting started.”

The development follows a similar decision in December by Rank MI Vote, which had been pushing for a ballot initiative to establish ranked choice voting in Michigan, to also pause its statewide efforts and instead focus on the 2028 ballot.