The following column was published by the Lapeer County Press on Saturday, Oct. 4

Over the past few months, there has been a lot of talk and stress about the state’s K-12 School Aid budget for the new fiscal year.

As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have been committed to delivering a budget plan that gives our students the resources they need to thrive and feel supported at school.

Through a budget agreement established this week, we are doing just that. The agreement raises per-pupil funding to a record-high $10,050 — a much-needed increase of $442 after schools received no per-pupil increase last year. This follows through on House Republicans’ commitment since this process began to provide school districts with resources they need to fund services and programs — including lunch programs, transportation, and more.

The plan also provides $321 million for school safety and mental health funding after it was cut to just $28 million in last year’s budget. This funding will allow school districts to hire school resource officers who can help keep students and staff safe, make building upgrades for security, and address other needs. It is also critical to provide robust mental health support for students when it is needed as they are at a critical time in their development as young people.

As the budget process went through the summer and toward the Oct. 1 start date for the new fiscal year, there were several interpretations about what various K-12 budget plans in Lansing might entail and what may happen to schools as we continued to negotiate a final product.

There were concerns that certain budget plans would cause students to lose out on things like breakfast and lunch or after-school programs. That was never the case, and this agreement provides needed clarity and finality to those concerns.

In addition, Michigan K-12 public schools are paid in monthly installments, with the first payment of a new fiscal year scheduled for Oct. 20. With the budget agreement in place and a shutdown averted, the governor will be able to sign the bills in time for those payments to go out.

Our state’s rankings for education are struggling. In a recent study by U.S. News and World Report, Michigan ranks 41st out of 50 states for education. We’re 43rd in high school graduation rates and 44th in SAT scores. Even the governor’s own population commission that she appointed found that seven out of 10 Michigan students can’t read or do math proficiently. With this comprehensive K-12 School Aid budget, we are providing landmark resources for students and parents and changes to the policies and procedures that have contributed to these horrendous rankings.

Ideally, the budget would have been wrapped up this summer. But negotiations and hammering out a final plan that gets the best value for tax dollars can sometimes take time when there is split government. That can be “the nature of the beast” in Lansing.

As the overall budget is finalized, I will be sure to keep people across the 67th House District in Lapeer, Genesee and Tuscola informed.