Information on Michigan academic standards and instructional resources.
Responsible for providing final decisions in administrative appeals to MDE.
Learn more about the MDE office responsible for providing leadership in curriculum and instruction that provides students with greater choices to prepare for success.
Resources for educator certification, recognition programs, evaluation, and workforce research.
Resources related to financial and pupil accounting and auditing.
Options available for Michigan students that provide unique learning opportunities.
Food & Nutrition Programs
This MDE office provides resources and technical assistance in physical education, sex education, health education, behavioral, emotional, mental, and social education as well as safety, discipline, and transportation.
Resources for programs and initiatives that support school improvement efforts.
Resources for supporting special education in Michigan.
Michigan has an innovative and comprehensive system of assessments to measure student achievement in learning our state content standards.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Search is currently unavailable. Please try again later.
The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer.
August 26, 2025
LANSING – The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is issuing the following statement from Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice about inaccurate assertions from State House members that a department press release confirms the House budget would not cut school meals:
“The bottom line is that the House budget would consolidate into one section of the budget funding for numerous important programs for our children rather than dedicating specific dollars to programs like free school meals. That would almost certainly result in some school districts ending free meals because funds for those programs would have to compete with dollars for other programs.
“MDE continues to strongly advocate for legislators to pass as soon as possible a budget that provides adequate and equitable funding to support Michigan students. State law requires a budget by July 1, and children are being hurt by the unnecessary delay.”
To provide further context, the MDE press release being referenced by legislators says the following:
“The state House budget would place in a single funding category, Section 22f, several essential items including but not limited to universal school breakfast and lunch; funding for English learners; per-pupil funding for children’s mental health and school safety; early literacy coaches; career and technical education programs; and assessments, to be allocated on a per-pupil basis. Such an approach fails to acknowledge that districts must fund certain areas, and that districts have different mixes of children.
“‘Different students have different needs. Different needs have different costs,’ (MDE Deputy Superintendent Dr. Diane) Golzynski said.
“Dr. Rice added, ‘Distributing dollars without regard to the fact that different students have different needs returns us to the inequitable funding formula of the past. We’ve made strides on school funding equity in Michigan the last few years. We need to continue to do so.’”
###
Media Contact:
