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Gov. Snyder: Year-round and early childhood programs get a boost in school finance legislation
April 11, 2014
Friday, April 11, 2014
LANSING, Mich. –Year-round schools and early childhood education both can help Michigan students get the best education possible, and both are getting a boost from the supplemental school aid bill Gov. Rick Snyder signed recently.
HouseBill4295providesstateschoolaidsupplementalappropriationsforfiscalyear2014, which runs until October.
The bill covers a variety of measures affecting education, including an investment that helps high-achieving low-income students take Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, which helps them prepare for college.
The bill also provides assistance for school districts that took on students when another district was dissolved.
“We know that a solid public school education is an essential part of Michigan’s continuing comeback,” Snyder said. “Studies show low-income students may lose as much as three grades of reading comprehension due to the traditional summer break. I want to support innovative districts voluntarily looking to move to the balanced calendar to help students build a strong educational foundation for a lifetime of learning.”
Gov. Snyder called for the year-round school pilot as part of his fiscal year 2015 budget. The supplemental law moves funding ahead to fiscal year 2014 so that districts can prepare over the summer and offer the new calendar in time for the next school year.
Eligible districts are those that qualifyforthefederalCommunityEligibility Optionforfree-and-reduced lunchorhave50 percent ormorepupilsthatarefree-luncheligible. Thedistrictmustalsohaveaboard-adoptedresolutionthatcommitstoayearroundprogramforatleastthreeyears. Themaximumamountanyonedistrictmayreceiveis$750,000.
The legislation also accepts $51.7 million federal Race to the Top Early Challenge grant to increase the number of low-income children enrolled in high-quality preschool programs. The money will be invested over four years inaccordancewiththefederally approved application and state plan.
Also included in the bill is $250,000 to help cover all or some of the testing costs associated with Advanced Placement or InternationalBaccalaureatecoursesforlow-incomestudents.
“We want to make sure that a family’s finances don’t prevent a student from taking these advanced high school courses that can prepare a student for college and in some cases provide college credit,” Snyder said.
The bill also includes $7.2 million for reimbursement to districts of costs specifically related to the transfer of property from a dissolved district. Funds may be used for maintenance, utilities, security, insurance, o rthe demolition of transferred properties.
It is now PA 116 of 2014.
For more information on legislation, visit legislature.michigan.gov
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