HB 4222 requires Michigan public school districts, intermediate school districts, public school academies, and nonpublic schools to develop and update emergency operations plans every three years (starting July 1, 2026) in collaboration with local law enforcement. These plans must address specific safety scenarios like violence, fire, intruders, weather emergencies, mental health training, building security, and crisis response protocols. Schools must adopt plans with public input and notify the state education department within 30 days of adoption or updates, with all plan details kept confidential under state law. The department will track compliance and notify non-compliant schools, ensuring consistent safety planning across all school buildings.
HB 4239, the "foreign influence of state institutions of higher education act," prohibits Michigan public colleges and universities from entering agreements or accepting grants from specific "foreign countries of concern" (including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Syria) if those arrangements control curriculum, threaten U.S. security, or restrict contracting freedom. It requires all gifts from foreign sources to be formalized through written agreements and mandates reporting of certain gifts to state officials. The law also bars accepting items of value conditioned on promoting a foreign country's language or culture and requires cultural exchange agreements with listed countries to be reviewed by U.S. federal agencies for national security risks. These provisions directly affect all 15 Michigan public universities and community colleges.
HB 4159 requires Michigan public school districts to provide a core academic curriculum aligned with state-developed standards for all students. It specifically mandates that history standards for grades 8-12 include learning objectives on genocide (including the Holocaust and Armenian Genocide), and that reading/writing standards for K-6 must use evidence-based "science of reading" methods focusing on phonics, decoding, and structured literacy. The bill also prohibits curriculum content that includes non-essential values or beliefs, and requires assessments to measure academic skills - not student attitudes. School districts must fully adopt these K-6 standards by the 2026-2027 school year.
HB 4157 creates a pilot program for a state-administered assessment system in Michigan public schools, replacing the current M-STEP testing. It requires item analysis for all tests (showing which questions students answered correctly and common mistakes) and mandates that districts use only student enrollment data from the time of testing when calculating school performance scores. The bill allocates $500,000 for an online tool to provide secure, immediate access to student-level assessment data for educators and parents. This bill directly affects public school districts receiving state aid and their students in grades 11-12, as it modifies assessment requirements under the State School Aid Act.
HB 4149 requires Michigan public school districts, intermediate school districts, and public school academies to post a link to the MI School Data parent dashboard on their public websites by July 1, 2026. Starting July 1, 2027, these schools must annually send parents or guardians a notification including specific school performance data from the dashboard, such as state assessment results by subject. The state’s Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI) must expand the MI School Data website to include all parent dashboard data and add a school comparison feature. This bill directly affects all public schools in Michigan and their enrolled students’ families by increasing transparency around school performance metrics.
HB 4153 creates a new "local teaching certificate" pathway for educators in Michigan. It amends the Revised School Code to define a "certificated teacher" as including individuals holding either a standard teaching certificate or this new local certificate (under added Section 1531l). The bill directly affects teachers seeking certification through local school districts or authorized entities, rather than the standard state-issued process. Key provisions establish that local certificates must meet state standards but can be issued by districts or approved entities, expanding certification options for schools. This change modifies existing sections (501, 521, 551, etc.) to incorporate the new local certificate type into teacher certification requirements.
HB 4162 allocates $17.77 billion in state and federal funds for Michigan's K-12 public schools for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, primarily from the state school aid fund and other designated trust funds. It sets a new target per-student funding level of $10,025 and establishes a formula to calculate each school district's foundation allowance based on the previous year's funding, inflation (using the Consumer Price Index), and the target amount. School districts with funding below the target receive adjusted increases, while those above the target see smaller raises tied to inflation. The bill directly affects all public school districts by determining their state funding allocation through this updated formula.
