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Michigan parents are heavily encouraged but not required to send their children to kindergarten. A Democratic-sponsored bill would make kindergarten a requirement.
Michigan has spent hundreds of millions on school safety in recent years, but some lawmakers contend policy solutions have stalled because of politics. Democrats disagree.
A bipartisan task force agreed to common-sense reforms after the Oxford High School shooting. But legislation on some changes have sat for a year-plus without hearings.
As the state works to solve the ongoing teacher shortage, advocates are asking legislators to fund retention efforts in addition to educator pipelines.
As Michigan mulls whether to let high school student athletes get paid for use of their name, image or likeness, some lawmakers are concerned that NIL deals could be abused by their parents.
After school administrators said they didn’t think the proposed bills could be implemented within the required timeline, lawmakers amended the legislation to give schools more time.
Michigan’s traditional public schools continue to report declining enrollment as parents choose charter and private schools. Public school enrollment fell by 7,400 in fall of 2023 though it rose in the state’s publicly funded charter schools.
For the first time in years, the number of recent high school graduates in Michigan has increased. Statewide, 38.2% of last year’s graduates enrolled in four-year colleges, while more than half are in some higher education.
The increase is slight, but it moves the needle following a heavy investment in affordability. At the same time, enrollment at two-year colleges decreased.
The federal government isn’t sending student financial data to schools until mid-March. That adds a time crunch to schools and students. Some schools are easing deadlines.
Michigan is one of 11 states that doesn’t require parents to notify school or state officials when they homeschool children. Suggestions to count students has prompted an outcry from homeschoolers.
Of the 321 bills signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2023, 142 will take effect Tuesday — including changes to abortion rights, pension taxes, energy policy and gun regulations.
Homeschool families in Michigan say they’re worried about a proposed requirement to register all school-aged children with their local school district or public agency. However, advocates say most homeschool families want the current system to remain with no mandatory registration.
Michigan public school enrollment has declined by 16% since 2003. The expiration of COVID relief dollars could force difficult decisions for district leaders.
The federal government says it won’t send student financial information to colleges until March, more than a month later than expected. This means students will have to wait longer for financial aid offers.
