A $15.7 billion education budget approved last week by Michigan lawmakers is receiving mostly positive reviews from area superintendents.

The budget, which was awaiting the signature of Gov. Rick Snyder as of Friday afternoon, includes raising the per-pupil foundation allowance for kindergarten through 12th grade schools from between $50 and $175 depending on the school.

Niles, Brandywine and Buchanan school district are all expected to receive the $175 per-pupil bump.

Not surprisingly, local school officials are pleased about that.

“We came out in pretty good shape and we are always excited when that happens,” said Niles Community Schools Interim Supt. Michael Lindley.

All kindergarten through 12th grade schools will see at least a $50 jump in per-pupil funding. However, the lowest-funded school districts will get an additional $125 on top of that, bringing the increase to $175.

“It’s good that they are making more efforts at addressing the needs for the lowest financed districts with the $125 per pupil equity payment,” said Brandywine Supt. John Jarpe, adding that he would have liked to have seen lawmakers do more to address retirement costs.

Lawmakers were also expected to include funding for a new student assessment to replace the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test. Jarpe said that didn’t happen.

“For student assessments, we will still have the MEAP tests, although they are supposed to revise the MEAP and then bid for new tests for 2016-2017,” Jarpe said. “In my opinion, the State Department of Education and the legislature could have worked together better on the assessments.”

The budget also includes a 5.9-percent increase in funding to the state’s public universities and a 3-percent increase to the state’s community colleges.

The funding comes with a few strings attached, including that universities not increase tuition by more than 3.2 percent.