LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – After postponing the vote, the Michigan legislature has officially approved both Senate and House budgets early Thursday morning, highlighting education costs among the top recipients of funding. 

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The Fiscal Year 2024 budget totals nearly $82 billion, including a School Aid Fund total of $19.4 billion.  Within the budget, the highest percentage went towards increasing the per-pupil funding by 5%, raising the funding per student to $9,608. 

An earlier goal of universal Pre-Kindergarten for all fell short, with a new goal of offering the program to the entire state by the end of the Governor’s second term according to the Governor’s office.  This budget will provide nearly $255 million to provide the service for free to up to 5,600 children.  

The smallest appropriation was the $8 million over the next two years to establish the Nature Awaits program which would provide every Michigan fourth grader the opportunity to visit a state park for free on a field trip. 

One element that has received praise in particular from the American Heart Association is the reinstitution of the Healthy School Meals for All program. 

“Today is a historic day in Michigan: the Michigan Legislature has voted to create and fund the Healthy School Meals for All program—no-cost breakfast and lunch for all public-school students—in its state budget. Proper nutrition is a key component of a heart-healthy lifestyle, and ensuring all students’ bodies are nourished so they can be ready to learn in the classroom sets them up to reach their full potential,” AHA Government Relations Director Collin McDonough said.

Michigan will become the sixth state to bring this program back after the federal government cut funding for the program following the COVID-19 pandemic.  

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Dr. Diane Golzynski, Interim Deputy Superintendent, Finance and Operations at the Michigan Department of Education provided public comment at a Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid and Education Committee meeting regarding the thousands of students who would go without food following the federal government cutting the program. 

“This year on average over 52,000 fewer children are eating breakfast everyday, and over 73,000 fewer children are eating lunch at school everyday than they did when meals were free,” Dr. Golzynski said. 

According to the American Heart Association, the program preparation can begin so that on the first day of school of the 2023-24 year, students will have access to no-cost meals.