Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder recently signed a supplemental school aid bill into law that will bolster year-round schools, early education programs and advanced coursework for low-income students.
“We know that a solid public school education is an essential part of Michigan’s continuing comeback,” Snyder said. “Studies show low-income students may lose as much as three grades of reading comprehension due to the traditional summer break. I want to support innovative districts voluntarily looking to move to the balanced calendar to help students build a strong educational foundation for a lifetime of learning.”
The supplemental school aid bill provides additional funding to school districts’ fiscal year 2014 budgets to prepare for a year-round pilot program and draft an educational calendar for it.
The new law also directs supplemental appropriations to a program that allows high-achieving, low-income students to take advanced placement and international baccalaureate courses.
“We want to make sure that a family’s finances don’t prevent a student from taking these advanced high school courses that can prepare a student for college and in some cases provide college credit,” Snyder said.
School districts that added students because another district dissolved will receive supplemental appropriations under the law. It also includes $7.2 million in reimbursements for districts that paid to transport property from a dissolved district.
Under the new law, the state also accepted a $51.7 million federal Race to the Top Early Challenge grant that is designed to increase the number of low-income children enrolled in quality preschool programs. The funds will be invested over four years in accordance with a plan approved by the federal government.