Lansing Update: Nonpublic Schools Left Out of Latest Round of Safety Funding
Posted September 27, 2024
Nonpublic Schools Excluded From Additional Safety Dollars in New Spending Bill
Nonpublic schools did not receive any additional school safety or mental health funding when lawmakers voted this week to approve a supplemental spending bill that allocated $125 million to public schools only.
This means unless there is an additional supplemental appropriation, nonpublic schools will still have to divvy up $1.5 million to pay for security improvements and mental health services for the more than 100,000 students who attend nonpublic schools in Michigan.
The disappointing outcome happened despite grassroots advocates like you responding to last week’s Action Alert by sending legislators nearly 1,000 messages, in addition to advocacy work from Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) and the Michigan Association of Nonpublic Schools (MANS).
“All parents deserve the peace of mind in knowing their children are in safe learning environments and have the resources they need to thrive in their learning setting. It is beyond comprehension why some Michigan students’ safety would be potentially compromised just by virtue of the name on their school building,” stated Brian Broderick, executive director for MANS, in a press release issued this week, adding that MANS is calling “on the legislature to fix what we hope is only an oversight and restore appropriate funding for the health and safety of all Michigan students.”
The $1.5 million allocated for nonpublic school safety in the upcoming budget was a cut from the previous year’s $18 million. Public schools were also cut from $300 million to $25 million, but this week’s action added $125 million for only public schools.
A majority of lawmakers in both chambers approved the spending bill this week, but the Senate did not provide enough votes to give the bill immediate effect, meaning that public schools will not see the additional funding until March or April of next year.
There remains a possibility that lawmakers will consider adding nonpublic school safety funding in future supplemental spending bills. MCC and MANS will continue to work with legislative leadership about restoring more safety and mental health funding for nonpublic schools.
While this week’s outcome is incredibly disappointing, your contacts still made a difference in getting lawmakers’ attention on this issue. It’s important to continue reminding lawmakers that improving safety for all Michigan students is a public policy priority.
With that in mind, MCC continues to urge grassroots advocates like you to contact your lawmakers and advocate for more safety funding for nonpublic schools.
If you have already sent a message, you are encouraged to send a new one, as the revised Action Alert focuses on nonpublic schools and how they were left out of this round of funding. Thank you again for your advocacy and engagement!
Reminder to Sign Up for MCC’s Faithful Citizenship Webinar on October 8
The general election is getting closer as this week marked the beginning of voting in Michigan. Absentee ballots are officially available and being sent to voters who have requested them.
As part of its mission to educate and engage Catholic voters, MCC is offering several resources to help the faithful in preparing to vote.
The presentation is intended to equip Catholics by presenting what the Church and the Catholic bishops of the United States teach when it comes to voting and the issues, what it means to have a well-formed conscience, and how to navigate the challenges of comparing candidate positions to Church teachings. There will be an opportunity to ask questions as well.
MCC has also published a new edition of its Focus publication, A Catholic Approach to Voting in the 2024 Election, which should be available at your parish, or it can be viewed online at cthl.cc/votecatholic. If it is not available at your parish, please ask your pastor or parish leadership to order free copies from MCC.
MCC has also published an election resources website for Catholics at cthl.cc/voting, which includes conscience formation and prayer resources, more information on Catholic social teaching, tips for researching candidates, and a guide to modeling faithful citizenship in the family. There are also links to assist with voter registration, requesting an absentee ballot, and other voting logistics.
Bipartisan-Backed Bills to Improve Student Reading Headed to Governor
MCC-supported bills to improve student reading through required dyslexia screening continued their successful path through the Legislature this week after the House signed off on the legislation.
The bills—Senate Bills 567 and 568—were approved by the House Education Committee and later passed by the full House on wide bipartisan votes of 100-8 and 99-10, respectively. The legislation was approved by the Senate and will head to the Governor for her consideration to sign into law.
The legislation requires public schools to screen students in grades K-3 for dyslexia, as well as older students who demonstrate difficulty reading. The bills also require that staff who provide reading intervention or reading instruction receive professional learning about dyslexia and instructional accommodations.
MCC supports the legislation and its intention to improve learning outcomes by addressing student reading issues, one of which can be caused by dyslexia.
Senate Bills 567 and 568 are sponsored by Sens. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) and Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia), respectively.