April 29, 2008
LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has signed legislation to provide an additional $4.7 million for the Great Start School Readiness Program that provides quality pre-school to at-risk four-year-olds across the state. The additional funding was included in House Bill 5531 (PA 112), a School Aid Fund supplemental which reduced spending by a net of $108 million due primarily to the decline in student enrollment this year.
"To create a world-class workforce, we must ensure that every child arrives at kindergarten ready to learn," Granholm said. "This additional funding for the Great Start program will help meet that need for nearly 1,400 more young children."
The Great Start School Readiness Program serves over 27,000 at-risk four-year-olds throughout Michigan. This year, the state received more requests from local school districts for funding than was available. The supplemental appropriation contained in this legislation, which increases the program's funding to $98.3 million, provides the additional funding needed to meet this demand.
Granholm has proposed an additional $31.5 million in her executive budget for fiscal year 2009 to further expand this and other early childhood education programs.
Governor Granholm has also signed House Bill 5344 (PA 113), a general fund supplemental appropriations bill for various departments and agencies.
This bill includes funding for a Michigan State Police Trooper School to train an additional 100 state troopers.
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