State Rep. Matt Hall on Thursday shared that under Democrats’ new state budget, which he strongly opposed, public schools in Kalamazoo and Allegan counties will lose millions of dollars from school safety and mental health efforts.

Hall, R-Richland Township, said the 92% cut to school safety and mental health funding — a $302 million reduction statewide — will cause layoffs for school resource officers and mental health professionals and eliminate crucial security measures and student mental health resources. The Michigan Education Association, a prominent union for teachers and school employees that usually aligns with Democrats, even called for the Legislature to return to the Capitol and restore the safety and mental health funding for schools.

“Republicans made school safety and mental health top priorities in our education budgets, but now that Democrats have full control, they’re reversing course and cutting support for these critical student needs,” Hall said. “Their wasteful new budget takes away millions of dollars that should be going to schools in Southwest Michigan to boost students’ mental health and keep kids and teachers safe in class. These dangerous budget cuts will undermine the health and safety of young people in Kalamazoo and Allegan counties and will force devoted school resource officers and counselors out of their jobs.”

Hall represents the 42nd House District, which includes a large portion of Kalamazoo County and southeastern Allegan County. Area school districts will lose the following estimated amounts of school safety and mental health funding:

In the budget passed in 2022, Hall fought for and secured $343 million for school safety and mental health, including dedicated funding for school resource officers. This year, Democrats’ budget spends $83 billion overall while cutting school safety funding and refusing to increase core school funding for the first time since 2011. School officials and educators have said the decision will lead to educational program cuts and staff layoffs.

Hall voted against the budget and its school safety cuts when it passed the Legislature in June. The governor, who negotiated the budget with Democrats in the Legislature, has made it clear she intends to sign it into law.