- Support Reinvesting MPSERS Savings Into the Classroom
- Legislation Introduced to Permanently Lower MPSERS Rate
- House Education Committee Continues Hearings on Dyslexia
- Judiciary Committee Hears Stop the Bleed Testimony
Support Reinvesting MPSERS Savings Into the Classroom
MASB continues to push for the money saved by the school employees’ retirement system healthcare benefit unfunded liabilities being paid off and fully funded to be reinvested in MPSERS to lower the rate that districts have to pay into the system for the unfunded liabilities.
MASB and 12 other education organizations are asking for a full 7% reduction in the rate which reflects the amount that is paid into the unfunded liabilities portion of healthcare benefits in MPSERS. This reduction, from 20.96% to 13.96%, would create significant cost savings, an average of $450 per pupil, for Michigan’s public schools without harming the MPSERS system. This financial relief is crucial, especially now that federal ESSER funds are expiring. The savings generated would guarantee the continuity of programs and services for our students and support for our staff.
If you have not, please consider participating in the action alert asking you to contact your legislators and tell them to use the $670 million to invest back into the MPSERS system. Your advocacy is crucial as the budgets head into final discussions. Please contact your legislators and explain the benefits this rate cut would have for our students and staff.
Legislation Introduced to Permanently Lower MPSERS Rate
On Wednesday, legislation was introduced in both the Senate and the House reflecting our push to lower the MPSERS rate for districts from 20.96% to 13.96% and removes the requirement that certain employees pay 3% into the healthcare fund. Senate Bill 911, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-Saint Clair Shores) and House Bill 5803, sponsored by Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth) were each referred to their respective chamber’s Appropriations Committee. We appreciate Rep. Koleszar and Sen. Hertel introducing these bills for the education community to create significant savings for our public schools and their staff.
These bills would ensure that the lower rate would continue and not be tied to just one fiscal year as it would be if it were only done in the budget. We are pushing for quick movement on either of the bills to get this change to move with the final budgets in the next 2 weeks.
House Education Committee Continues Hearings on Dyslexia
Tuesday’s House Education Committee continued testimony on Senate Bills 567-568 . These bills would require dyslexia screening as part of state-approved reading assessments (SB 567) and require teacher preparation programs to include instruction on identifying and addressing dyslexia in students (SB 568).
Those giving testimony included students with dyslexia and their parents, school psychologists and school administrators. SB567 is expected to be considered for approval by the House Education Committee by the end of the month.
We continue to try to work toward a compromise that districts can implement with fidelity and identifies and supports all struggling readers, no matter the cause. We encourage you to contact your Representative, especially those on the Education Committee, and urge them to seek a compromise that benefits all students and districts.
Judiciary Committee Hears Stop the Bleed Testimony
On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on House Bill 5741 which would add Stop the Bleed program information and education into the state’s model core curriculum standards for health education. Stop the Bleed is a national campaign by the American College of Surgeons that encourages bystanders to become trained to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. The states health education standards would be amended to require instruction of 7th -12th grade students on bleeding emergency response with an encouragement that there be hands on training.
Testimony on the bill is expected to continue.