Whitmer signs budget that offers K-14 guarantee

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a $23.4 billion education budget Tuesday that includes a guarantee the state will pay for at least two years of tuition for community college, professional certificates or other post-high school learning.

The Democratic governor signed the bill at a preschool in Flint to highlight promises in the budget that include free school breakfast and lunch for all students regardless of income, more access to pre-kindergarten for lower-income families and funding to get more students into a higher education track.

“This budget will allow every high school graduate to earn an associate’s degree or a skills certificate at their local community college tuition free,” she said. “This is a huge deal.”

Whitmer also said an existing program to provide free meals at school without an income test is also now baked into the budget.

“Every single Michigan public school student, every 1.4 million of them, will keep getting free breakfast and lunch in our schools,” she said. “In Genessee County alone, there are 65,000 students who can eat free – two meals a day, five days a week.”

Whitmer’s budget director, Jen Flood, said families with students will feel the savings in the budget.

“It’s $10,000 per child for preschool for all, $850 dollars a year for free breakfast and lunch, more than $27,000 towards an associate’s degree, a certificate or a bachelor’s degree. When you add that up, it’s nearly $50,000 in savings per child per family. That’s a big deal.”

The budget does not represent an overall increase in funding for K-12 schools, community colleges and universities. In fact, it’s a slight decrease. But the administration says it allows districts to save money on contributions into the school employee retirement system.

Education unions also complain the budget cuts money for student mental health and school safety.

Republicans, who are in the minority in the state House and the Senate, said the new budget falls short.

“Education and school safety will both suffer setbacks under this misshapen spending plan,” said Rep. Mike Harris (R-Waterford), who is part of the House GOP leadership team. “This budget fails Michigan students and teachers by blocking an increase in per-pupil funding for the first time in more than a decade. It puts teachers’ retirements at risk by raiding the pension fund. And it guts funding for school safety and mental health.”

Whitmer will sign the rest of the state budget for the coming fiscal year at a signing ceremony on Wednesday.