STARBASE CLOSURE DETAILS
You may have learned by now that STARBASE One closed its doors to program operations on Friday, February 7, 2025. This closure is not only impacting your community’s site but all 90 programs across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Guam, including the additional two Michigan sites in Alpena and Battle Creek. At this time, we do not know if this is a temporary or permanent closure.
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This news is disheartening to all of us. STARBASE One is the first site in the nation. It originated at Selfridge in 1991 under a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, proudly serving our community as a leader in STEM education for 34 years. Please know that we are working diligently to remain afloat and continue providing an empowering educational opportunity that inspires generations of children to come.
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Why did this happen?
STARBASE is part of the Department of Defense. Each year, Congress passes funding bills for the federal government, which, when signed by the president, become law. We entered our current fiscal year on October 1, 2024, with no budget in place. The federal government is currently operating on a continuing resolution, providing limited funds. We’ve been told the funds for STARBASE are fully expended.
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How did we get here?
As the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate navigate the path forward for funding the federal government, they disagree on how much to allocate for the 90 STARBASE locations. Currently, the House has proposed $60 million; the Senate has proposed $20 million. As a result of this disparity, the DoD comptroller (the financial reporting and accounting office) is acting conservatively and only released $20 million for all STARBASE locations during the continuing resolution. On Wednesday, January 29, our DoD program manager informed us that we must close our operations on Friday, February 7, because the DoD comptroller will not release additional funds.
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How long will this last?
We do not know if this shutdown is temporary or permanent. We will only learn this once Congress passes the appropriations budget and the president signs it into law. If the Senate concedes to the House and increases the STARBASE budget to $60 million, we’ve been told we can resume operations. If the House concedes to the Senate and lowers the budget, we likely face permanent closure to STARBASE.
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What can you do?
STARBASE, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates STARBASE One at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. We can fully accept any monetary donation you would like to make (donate here). (Your contributions may be tax deductible.)
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With your critical financial contribution, we can supplement the shortfall in our budget while Congress makes a determination. The funds we raise can help us function in some form during this time.
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Your support is vital and will make a difference. We will update our fiscal status regularly to keep you apprised.
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All of us at STARBASE thank you for your time and support. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@starbaseone.org or 586-239-4884.​
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Respectfully,
The STARBASE One Team