7/21/23 - Gov. Whitmer Signs New Education Budget

A $24.3 Billion education budget for Michigan will expand free meals, provide more for school safety & mental health support as well as incentives.

-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was in Suttons Bay on Thursday for a bill signing ceremony for the new education budget.  She said the new $24.3 billion education budget for the upcoming fiscal year will ensure education equity for children in the state.

Among other things the bill will increase per-pupil spending, provide free school meals and enable more families to enroll in Michigan's state-funded preschool program.

The new budget is for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.

According to the executive office the budget includes:

Pre-K-12 Education

• $611 million to increase per-pupil funding by 5%, an additional $458 per student, for a total of $9,608 per-pupil. Per-pupil funding is up 22% since the Governor took office.
• $450 million deposit into a new rainy day fund for schools, setting aside resources for future needs and shoring up the long-term financial stability of the state’s public education system.
• $370 million to support teachers, including continued support for the MI Future Educator Fellowship (which provides a tuition free path for college students to become certified teachers) and funds to retain and develop existing teachers through mentoring programs.
• $328 million for mental health and school safety.
• $254.6 million to expand free pre-K for up to 5,600 kids, working towards Pre-K for All by the end of the Governor’s second term, saving families $10,000 a year and putting kids on the path to a brighter future.
• $204.5 million increase, for a total of $952 million, in funding for academically at-risk, economically disadvantaged students.
• $160 million to provide all 1.4 million public school students free breakfast and lunch.
• $150 million for individualized tutoring or academic support through the MI Kids Back on Track program.
• $140.3 million to continue expanded support for special education students, providing a full foundation allowance plus required cost reimbursements for each student.
• $125 million to fund matching grants for school districts to modernize their bus fleet by switching over to electric vehicles.
• $94.4 million for literacy-related programs and activities in Detroit’s public schools.
• $25.5 million to help students reach their full academic potential, including expansion of existing payments for literacy grants and literacy coaches.
• $25 million supporting new math intervention programs.
• $25 million for additional supports for vocational education and career and technical education equipment upgrades.
• $13.3 million to provide a 50% increase in funding for English language learners.

Higher Education & Workforce Development

• A 5% ongoing increase for university and community college operations.
• $112 million in Infrastructure, Technology, Equipment Maintenance, and Safety (ITEMS) funding to assist community colleges and universities improve existing facilities, infrastructure, technology, and campus security.
• $50 million additional investment for the ongoing costs of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, lowering costs by thousands for students, bringing the FY24 investment to $300 million.
• $10 million to community colleges and public universities for critical incident mapping to help with campus safety.
• Up to $10 million annually to market the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, to promote lower costs for college degrees and credentials.
• $10 million to support adult postsecondary completion.