Dear Friend,

Welcome back to school, Michigan!

I hope you’re excited for another year full of learning, growth, and discovery.

As governor, I’m focused on helping every student succeed because every child deserves a fair shot at a bright future. The best way to set our young people up for success is to invest in their education from pre-K through postsecondary. This summer, I signed another historic education budget that raises per-pupil funding — for the sixth year in a row — with an average $400 increase per student over last year.

Going back to school is an exciting time full of new opportunities and experiences. As we kick off the year, I want to highlight some new and exciting things we’re doing to enhance the student experience both inside and outside of the classroom.

New Balanced, Bipartisan Budget – Puts Students First

The new balanced, bipartisan budget continue puts our students first by building up our schools, paying and training more of our educators, and making critical investments in school safety, mental health, and before- and after-school programs.

This budget invests in our students by:

• Continuing our all-time high per-pupil investment—with over $10,000 per kid—and keeps the funding gap between schools closed.
• Increasing per-pupil funding by 4% — up $400 over last year. In total, we have increased per-pupil funding by 26% since I took office in 2019.
• Continuing free breakfast and lunch for every public-school student — all 1.4 million  of them. Free school meals mean families save more than $850 a year on groceries per kid and valuable time every morning when you’re just trying to get everyone out the door. It’s hard to learn on an empty stomach, and I am proud that we were one of the first states to get this done. It makes a real difference for students like Olivia who can focus on learning and succeeding in her senior year of high school.  

We are supporting student success and well-being by: 

• Delivering additional resources for at-risk students, English language learners, rural districts, and special education students.
• Tackling our literacy crisis head-on, supporting our literacy coaches, and offering more personalized academic instruction
• Taking mental health and school safety seriously, with ongoing per-pupil investments that schools can use to hire more counselors, social workers, and campus resource officers.
• Increasing funds to hire, train, and retain educators by lowering their costs and ensuring they can get the training they need.

Education is key to economic growth, community growth, and personal growth. A high-quality education puts kids on the path toward a good-paying job and helps us build a stronger community.

We want every student to know that we’ve got your back and that we believe in you. Embrace the journey ahead with curiosity and determination. Your potential is limitless, and we have no doubt that you will shine brightly in all that you do.

We hope you have a successful school year!

Sincerely,

Gretchen Whitmer

Governor