Dear Friend,

Welcome back to school, Michigan!

I hope everyone is excited for another year full of learning, growth, and discovery.

This is an exciting time full of new opportunities and experiences. As we kick off the school year, I want to thank all the dedicated educators and staff across our state. Your commitment to the education and well-being of our young Michiganders is inspiring.

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.

That’s why, earlier this year, I presented my budget recommendations to ensure our students continue to have the tools they need to succeed in the classroom. However, the Michigan Legislature has yet to deliver a balanced budget to my desk, leaving many parents and schools wondering about the status of the essential funding that supports our schools and students. I am dedicated to working with anyone who will get this done, because letting our kids down is not an option. Let’s get it done.

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,

Let’s Pass a Bipartisan Budget to Put Students First

My budget recommendation for this year doubles down on the big investments we’ve already made to support our schools and students.

Last year, I signed a balanced, bipartisan budget that continued our all-time high per-pupil investment—with over $10,000 per kid—and kept the funding gap between schools closed. In total, we have increased per-pupil funding by 26% since I took office in 2019. We also continued free breakfast and lunch for every public-school student — all 1.4 million of them, saving families 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.

This year, let’s pass a balanced, bipartisan K-12 education budget that continues funding the critical efforts we’ve taken to:

• Support schools by maintaining per pupil funding levels.
• Continue to feed all 1.4 million public school students free breakfast and lunch, saving parents an average of $850 a year.
• Expand support for special education.
• Continue mental health and safety grants to districts.
• Take action to drive improvements in student outcomes by engaging parents.
• Continue funding for the MI Future Educator Fellowship and Student Teacher Stipends, providing a tuition-free route to becoming a teacher.

First Day of School Photos & Drawings

We want to see what our young Michiganders’ first days of school look like!

We welcome you to send us a picture using the form below to have a chance to be featured on the Governor’s social media. We also welcome you to submit drawings from kids about how excited they are about going back to school.

As the new school year begins, let’s keep working together to create a brighter future for all Michiganders and making sure they have the tools they need to succeed.

I hope you have a successful school year, full of learning, growth, and of course, fun!