Second tour stop discussion centers on classroom investments, on-campus mental health resources, teacher recruitment 

Rockford, MI — On Aug 26th, Governor Gretchen Whitmer made the second stop of her Back-to-School Tour, sitting down with students, parents, and teachers at Valley View Elementary as part of Rockford Public Schools to discuss efforts the Whitmer-Gilchrist Administration has taken to strengthen in-person learning, on-campus mental health, and staff recruitment and retention as the new school year begins. Last month, the governor signed her fourth bipartisan education budget that will make the highest state per-student investment in Michigan history, hire, train and recruit 10,000 teachers, expand on-campus mental health resources, build up school facilities, and more.  

“I was proud to sit down with parents and teachers in Rockford today as they start the new school year and talk about what we can do to ensure resources from the education budget are used as effectively as possible for their kids,” said Governor Whitmer. “Last month, I signed a historic, bipartisan education budget that made the highest state per-student funding in Michigan history including right here in Rockford, will help recruit and train 10,000 educators, and invest in school infrastructure, mental health, and campus safety. I was proud to get it done thanks to invaluable input from parents, teachers, and school staff. I look forward to keeping parents a part of the conversation as we build our next budget, and I will work with anyone to improve every child’s in-class experience and keep them on track for long-term success.”  

Governor Whitmer has worked collaboratively with leaders in education, as well as students and parents to gain their perspectives throughout the budget process. She will continue engaging with students, parents, educators and experts into the school year, including more formally bringing parents into the policymaking process with the Michigan Parents' Council.  

“Strong public schools build and support strong communities. The Rockford Public Schools have benefitted from the historic investment in public education over the last two years,” said Steve Matthews, Superintendent of Rockford Public Schools. “This investment has allowed our district to hire more teachers, increase salaries for our staff, reduce class sizes, invest in student safety measures, and improve our educational outcomes. We are appreciative of the efforts of Governor Whitmer and the legislature to prioritize school funding. We enter this school year excited about the possibilities and ready to serve our Rockford students and families.”  

“Investments in our children and in public schools is needed now, more than ever,” said Marion Carter, School Board Treasurer for Baldwin Community School District. 

“We see the need on a daily basis for mental health resources in our classrooms. Children, like all of us, have been so much during the last few years. The $214 per pupil funding on top of record per pupil funding provides critical additional support to Michigan students,” said Kevin Moore, 5th grade teacher at Arrowwood Elementary in Saginaw. 

“Governor Whitmer understands children thrive when they receive support at school and at home. Her leadership with this year’s historic education budget is evidence she’s fighting for Michigan’s future generations,” said Eric Engblade, parent of a Grand Rapids Public School student. 

Earlier this month, Governor Whitmer proposed suspending the Michigan sales tax on school supplies, part of her MI Back to School Plan to help families save money right now, help educators save on classroom expenses, and equip kids with the tools they need to succeed, including everything from paper and pencils to crayons and computers.  

Governor Whitmer has centered Michigan families by making historic investments in pre-K-12 schools without raising taxes. She continues to deliver meaningful change so every kid in every school in Michigan has equal opportunity to succeed. 

Investing in Students and Schools in West Michigan 

- Increased per-student funding by $1,279 for the nearly 220,000 students in West Michigan since taking office 

- Expanded free preschool through the Great Start Readiness Program to nearly 3,200 more kids in West Michigan 

- Closed the funding gap between schools, ensuring every school district has the same baseline funding 

Education Budget by the Numbers 

-- $9,150 per-pupil funding for every kid, in every public school district, highest state amount ever. 

-- $214 per-pupil mental health and school safety funding for every kid, in every public school district. 

-- Additional funding to meet students’ individual needs for all the nearly 200,000 special education and 710,000 at-risk students. 

-- $250 million for school infrastructure. 

-- $10,000 in tuition for 2,500 future Michigan educators every year. 

Education Budget Breakdown 

Governor Whitmer is dedicated to improving the in-class experience for every Michigan student. The education budget focuses on improving six key areas: students, mental health, learning supports, student safety, school infrastructure, and teacher recruitment. 

1) Students 

For our students, the highest state per-pupil funding in Michigan history—$9,150 for students in every district. Additional support for the nearly 200,000 special education students and 710,000 at-risk students in Michigan. A continued expansion of free preschool under the Great Start Readiness Program. Expanding funding for career and technical education programs by 27%. 

2) Mental Health 

Dedicated mental health dollars for every student in every school. Increasing funding for teen centers, district mental health grants, and TRAILS, which offers training to school mental health professionals so they can better serve students with evidence-based services. 

3) Learning Supports 

An expansion of before and after-school programs to keep kids engaged. Funding for the MI Kids Back on Track, Governor Whitmer’s proposal to offer every kid in Michigan tutoring to help catch up and get on track for long-term success, and resources for districts to develop learning pods for academically at-risk and economically disadvantaged students. 

4) Student Safety 

Dedicated school safety dollars for every student in every school. Funds to hire more on-campus school resources officers, create an intervention system for at-risk students that brings together law enforcement, schools, and mental health professionals, and establish a school safety commission. 

5) School Infrastructure 

$250 million for school infrastructure. Resources to help schools build or refurbish classrooms, labs, and libraries. Funds to assess current state of school infrastructure, determine further funding. 

6) Teacher Recruitment 

Funding MI Future Educator Fellowships, which pay up to $10,000 in tuition for 2,500 future Michigan educators every year, $9,600 stipends a semester for student teachers, and Grow-Your-Own programs that help districts put support staff on no-cost paths to become educators. Additional funding for career and technical education educators and the Troops-to-Teachers program that connects veterans with mentor teachers as they work to become certified educators. Finally, a robust investment to guarantee retired teachers have a stable, secure retirement.