Gov. Gretchen Whitmer takes questions from reporters following her Oct. 10, 2024 bill signing at Gardner International Magnet School. | Kyle Davidson
After taking questions from students at Gardner International Magnet School in Lansing, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined Democratic lawmakers in the library as she prepared to sign legislation providing schools with additional funding alongside bills to make sure students are screened for dyslexia.
Following the passage of Michigan’s School Aid budget for Fiscal Year 2025 over the summer, multiple education groups raised concerns about a decrease in funding for student safety and mental health, calling on the Legislature to provide additional financial support for these efforts.
The FY 2025 budget allocated $26.5 million in grants for per-pupil mental health and school safety compared to the $328 million included in the FY 2024 budget, which expired on Oct. 1.
While the Legislature noted its intent in the final budget bill that $598 million in funding that had been freed up by decreasing payments into the Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System (MPSERS) be “used to support student mental health, school safety, the educator workforce and academic interventions,” Republicans spoke out against the decrease in funds specifically set aside for mental health and school safety, with state Rep. David Martin (R-Davison) releasing a statement saying it “recklessly and unnecessarily put our children at risk.”