- Senate K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee Releases Budget Proposal
- Senate Approves Kindergarten Mandate
- Senate Committee Approves Cardiac Response Plan Requirements
- Senate Education Committee Considers School Library Mandate
- Special Elections Bring House Back to 56-54
Senate K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee Releases Budget Proposal
This week, the Senate PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee released its budget proposal. Its budget, Senate Bill 751, includes a 3.1% increase in the per-pupil foundation and significant increases in funding for at-risk and English Language Learners. The budget does not expand preschool for all four-year-olds but does increase eligibility for the Great Start Readiness Program to those families making up to 400% of the federal poverty guideline.
We have updated our break down of the School Aid budget to compare the Senate and Governor’s proposals. We are still waiting on the House proposal, which is expected at the end of April. The next Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference will be May 17, and that will give the Legislature and the Governor the most current revenue figures with which to set the final budget.
We urge you to continue to talk to your legislators about how this proposal will affect your district, other items that would be useful and the timeliness of final budget decisions.
Senate Approves Kindergarten Mandate
On Tuesday, the Senate passed Senate Bill 285 by a vote of 21-15. The bill would mandate that all children who turn 5 by September 1 of the year must enroll in kindergarten. Any district that offers first grade would be required to offer kindergarten. A parent may opt to delay enrollment for their child until age 6 if they submit notice to the school district in writing.
SB285 is now under consideration by the House Education Committee.
Senate Committee Approves Cardiac Response Plan Requirements
On Tuesday, the Senate Health Policy Committee approved House Bills 5527 and 5528, which modify and expand the cardiac emergency response plans for schools. The cardiac emergency plan and response team would act in the case of a cardiac emergency during the school day or at school-sponsored athletic events. The cardiac emergency response plan would establish steps and practices that would reduce the chances of serious harm or possible death.
During discussion in committee, an amendment was added to include nonpublic schools. The bills are now before the full Senate for its consideration and a vote is expected on Tuesday.
Senate Education Committee Considers School Library Mandate
The Senate Education Committee heard testimony on SB 741-743 on Tuesday. This bill package requires school districts to have a library in each of their buildings. Each school library will be required to have at least one certified school librarian, based on building size. For example, a building of less than 300 students will be required to have at least one half-time librarian, while a building of 1,500 students or more would be required to have at least two full-time librarians. Additionally, each school library would be required to participate in an interlibrary loan system. If passed, this bill package will go into effect beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.
The bill sponsors stated these bills center on creating access to school libraries for all students and that access to library programs will ensure that students are able to reach reading benchmarks.
MASB agrees that access to libraries is important and can increase reading success, however, we oppose these bills based on the unfunded mandate they create and the difficulty in finding staff to fill the positions. Locating and hiring enough qualified school librarians will be difficult at best.
Special Elections Bring House Back to 56-54
Special elections were held in the 13th and 25th House Districts that have been vacant since the end of 2023 when each of the sitting Representatives won their respective mayoral races. In the 13th District, representing parts of Detroit and Warren, Democrat Mai Xiong won with 65% of the vote. In the 25th District, representing the City of Wayne and parts of Canton, Dearborn Heights and Westland, Democrat Peter Herzberg was elected with 60% of the vote.
Both elections still have to be officially certified by the State Board of Canvassers before the newly elected members can be sworn into office. But upon swearing in, the House will return to a 56-54 Democratic majority.