LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan education budget Thursday guaranteeing free school meals for all students in public education.
The Michigan Executive Office of the Governor says Senate Bill 173 also puts the state on the path toward free pre-K.
“Every Michigan child deserves a chance to pursue their potential and build a bright future. This historic education budget will make that possible,” says Governor Whitmer. “This budget puts students first and supports parents by expanding access to free pre-K, providing free breakfast and lunch to all public school students, and improving higher education.”
Governor Whitmer adds the budget for fiscal year 2024 also lowers the cost for Michiganders to become teachers with free training, reimbursement for student loans and more.
The budget includes the following:
- $611 million for per-pupil funding, increased by 5%
- $370 million in support for educators, including the MI Future Educator Fellowship
- $328 million for school safety and mental health support
- $254.6 million to extend free pre-K to as many as 5,600 children
- $160 million for free breakfast and lunch for 1.4 million students
- $112 million for infrastructure upgrades at community colleges and universities
- $10 million for critical incident mapping at community colleges and universities
The budget also includes scholarship funding and support for tutoring services.
“This is another outstanding budget, one that again works hard on funding adequacy and equity,” says State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice. “In the 30 years since Proposal A to change the school funding system, Michigan hasn’t had two years of back-to-back funding increases close to FY23 and FY24. Kudos to the governor and state legislature for their work, among that of many others, on the budget front.”
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