House K-12 Budget Proposal Draws Broad Backlash from Education Leaders
The House K-12 budget proposal, HB 4577, was released and passed on the same day this past week. The proposal is a radical departure from the traditional budget process and comes far later than is normal in the year, which leaves in doubt whether the Legislature will have budgets in place by the end of June. More concerning, the House budget proposal strips away vital student supports, inflates funding numbers through one-time…
May CREC Highlights a School Aid Boost—but Budget Pressures Mount
The State Treasurer and directors of the House and Senate Fiscal Agencies met Friday to agree on the updated revenue estimates that will guide the final stages of the 2025-26 state budget process. The topline story: revenue projections for the School Aid Fund continue to improve modestly, but a significant drop in projected general fund revenue has added new tension to the budget process. The state is now expected to carry a…
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
On Tuesday, the House K-12 Appropriations subcommittee heard testimony focused on rethinking special education in Michigan (in particular the challenges of categorical and one-time funding) while the full House passed HB 4345 in a unanimous vote to give ice storm-impacted districts the option to waive up to 15 instructional days. Meanwhile, the full Senate advanced SB 234 (Polehanki), requiring local school boards to implement student cell phone use policies and the Senate…
Recapping the Flurry of Federal Court Activity Related to Title VI
On April 24, three different federal courts issued preliminary injunctions blocking the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) from enforcing a recertification requirement related to federal civil rights law. The requirement, which USDOE announced in early April, asked school districts to formally certify their compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, based on a substantial reinterpretation of the decades old law. The sudden rollout, legal uncertainty, and potential consequences for federal…
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
The Michigan Legislature returns from spring recess this coming week, with lawmakers expected to resume work on the state budget and the House Education and Workforce Committee likely to pick up where it left off before the break, having been busy moving and hearing several education bills. Just before recess, the Committee approved a series of bills including HB 4155 (requiring MDE to create a vetted list of curriculum and assessment vendors),…
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
Almost all the education news was in the House this week, with both the House Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid and MDE and the House Committee on Education and Workforce holding hearings; the former heard a presentation on charter school and cyber charter school funding, while the latter took testimony on and passed the next set of legislation in a broad House Republican education package (HB 4147-HB 4159 and HJR E) that…
Implementing Threat Reporting & Response Systems Under HB 5549
By Tom Lietz, MASSP Associate Director for Training and Development, and Bob Kefgen, MASSP Associate Director for Government Relations. Michigan’s new Behavior Threat Assessment and Management Team (BTAM Team) requirements, established under HB 5549 (Public Act 272 of 2024), go beyond simply forming a team—they require clear systems for identifying, reporting, and responding to potential threats. In our previous article, we defined the statutory requirements of HB 5549 and suggested some first steps districts…
What Schools Need to Know About HB 5549 and Threat Assessment Teams
By Tom Lietz, MASSP Associate Director for Training and Development, and Bob Kefgen, MASSP Associate Director for Government Relations. A package of school safety laws that passed during the 2024 lame duck session are going to require some advanced planning and implementation work from Michigan's school leaders. Over the next several weeks, MASSP will be doing a deep dive into the details of these new requirements from a principal's perspective and covering…
Governor Whitmer’s State of the State: Key Education Takeaways
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s 2025 State of the State Address touched on several issues that impact Michigan’s secondary schools, including student mental health and wellness, school accountability, and postsecondary opportunities. Proposed incentives for limiting cell phone use, a call for additional vaping regulations, and a focus on engaging young men with the state's scholarship programs all found a place in Wednesday's speech and all could have direct implications for high school administrators. With…
Navigating New Requirements: A Principal’s Guide to Native American Regalia Policies
By Joe Esper, Principal, Traverse City West Senior High School House Bill 4854, sponsored by state Representative Helena Scott, establishes new protections for Native American students participating in school ceremonies of honor. Beginning April 2, 2025, all Michigan schools must allow Native American students to wear traditional regalia and carry culturally significant objects at events such as graduation and honor society inductions. This law affirms the rights of Native American students to…