Whitmer Send $4.4B To Michigan Schools

MACOMB, MI — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Wednesday signed House Bill 4421, appropriating more than $4.4 billion in federal COVID relief funding to schools across the state.

Whitmer — speaking at Ojibway Elementary School in Macomb — said the education funding represents bipartisan work completed in late June and takes advantage of federal funding to make unprecedented investments in our schools.

“We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make the type of investment in our schools that will put Michigan students and educators first as they head into the next school year,” Whitmer said. “Our actions today prove that Republicans and Democrats in Lansing can work together to enact budgets that are laser-focused on helping Michigan take full advantage of the unprecedented opportunity we have right now to make transformative investments in our schools that will have positive impacts for generations.”

The supplemental bill distributes more than $4 billion from the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief to power schools’ efforts to get our kids back on track, the state said. A total of $841 million comes from ESSER II funding from December 2020, while $3.3 billion comes from ESSER III funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, officials said.

The funds will be distributed to districts based on their Title I, Part A allocation, meaning more money will get to districts that serve students with the highest need, the state said.

The funds will help schools address a wide range of needs arising from the coronavirus pandemic, including reopening schools safely, sustaining their safe operation and addressing students’ social, emotional, mental health and academic needs resulting from the pandemic, according to officials.

“Earlier this year, I appointed the Student Recovery Advisory Council to better understand our schools’ needs and identify evidence-based strategies to help every student thrive after the pandemic,” Whitmer said. “We know this recovery isn’t just about brushing up on fractions or remembering when to use the quadratic formula. Our students need a comprehensive recovery.”