HB 4871 increases Michigan's funding for free school meals, allocating up to $200 million for the 2024-2025 school year to cover costs not reimbursed by federal programs. It requires participating public schools (serving pre-K-12) to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students, maximize federal reimbursement through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), and collect family income data to determine eligibility. Schools must also offer accommodations for dietary needs like gluten-free, vegetarian, and allergy-specific meals upon request. This bill directly affects Michigan public school districts by changing how they receive state funding to support universal free meal programs.
HB 4868 creates supplemental funding for Michigan school districts to support English language learners (ELLs) starting in the 2026 fiscal year. To qualify, districts must administer the WIDA ACCESS or WIDA Alternate ACCESS proficiency test to ELLs. Funding is distributed based on test scores: 75% of the target foundation allowance for scores 1.0-1.9, 50% for 2.0-2.9, and 35% for 3.0-3.9. This directly affects school districts serving ELLs who meet the assessment requirements under Michigan’s School Code.
SB 379 modifies Michigan's school code to require school districts to base personnel decisions (like layoffs, recalls, or hiring) on teacher effectiveness measured by the existing performance evaluation system, rather than length of service or tenure alone. It specifically prohibits retaining teachers rated "ineffective" over those rated "minimally effective," "effective," or "highly effective," and mandates that individual performance - especially student growth - be the primary factor. School districts must adopt transparent procedures for these decisions, considering factors like teaching skills, classroom management, and contributions to school performance. The bill directly affects public school teachers, administrators, and school districts in Michigan, changing how staffing changes are handled. It also limits remedies for teachers challenging decisions to reinstatement only, excluding financial damages.
HB 4225 requires public schools serving grades 6-12 to include a 24/7 suicide prevention hotline number and contact information for Michigan's OK2SAY program (a confidential student safety reporting system) on student identification cards starting July 1, 2026. Nonpublic schools serving the same grades are encouraged to do the same. The bill amends Michigan's "Save our Students Act" to mandate this inclusion, ensuring students have immediate access to mental health resources and safety reporting tools. It applies to all public school districts, public school academies, and intermediate school districts, with liability protections for schools that comply.
SB 470 requires Michigan's Department of Education to create and implement a statewide Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Program within 180 days. The program mandates schools to identify, assess, and manage potential threats through standardized risk-level models, secure data storage, and a centralized digital portal that integrates school, mental health, and law enforcement data. It directly affects all Michigan public school districts, intermediate districts, public school academies, and nonpublic schools by requiring them to use this system for student safety planning. Key provisions include secure access controls, annual training for staff, quarterly audits, and ensuring all data remains protected as education records under federal and state laws.
HB 4802 allocates over $12.8 million in supplemental funding for Michigan's rural school districts for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It creates two distinct funding streams: $3.89 million for districts with fewer than 250 students and specific geographic isolation (e.g., Upper Peninsula locations >30 miles from other schools or island districts), and $8.38 million for districts with low population density (<10 pupils per square mile) or large land area (>250 square miles). Eligible districts must meet defined criteria, and funds are distributed based on financial need through a cooperative spending plan developed with intermediate superintendents. The bill amends existing school aid appropriation language (sections 11 and 22d of the State School Aid Act) to implement these targeted payments.
SB 76 requires all Michigan public and nonpublic schools to implement a mobile panic alert system by the 2025-2026 school year, using existing school safety funding. The system must enable real-time coordination between schools, law enforcement, and first responders during security emergencies like lockdowns or active-shooter situations. Schools already using a compliant system can apply for an exemption through the state, while noncompliance may result in loss of state safety grants. The bill specifies technical requirements for system integration with 9-1-1 infrastructure and mandates state procurement through competitive bidding.
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.
SB 77 allocates $6.7 million from the general fund to implement mobile panic alert systems in all public and nonpublic schools for the 2024-2025 school year, as required by existing law (MCL 380.1308c). The funds are designated as a "work project" with unspent balances carrying forward to 2025-2026, aiming for full system implementation by September 30, 2027. This bill specifically addresses school safety funding without creating new requirements, directly affecting Michigan schools' ability to meet existing panic alert system mandates. The allocation is part of broader education funding under Section 11 of the State School Aid Act.
HB 4285 requires Michigan schools to offer firearm safety instruction for students in grades 6-12 by September 2025. The state must create a model program (based on existing hunter safety standards) covering safe handling, cleaning, firearm types, and hunting practices, taught by certified instructors - **without bringing firearms into school buildings**. Schools may offer this as an optional extracurricular class or integrate it into existing courses, and students or parents may opt out without penalty. Completing the program counts toward the hunter safety certification needed for a hunting license. The bill directly affects all Michigan public schools and students in grades 6-12.
