State Rep. Donni Steele, R-Orion Township, this week introduced legislation as part of a broader education reform plan aimed at helping Michigan students succeed in school and beyond.

The plan focuses on helping students, parents, and teachers through a wide-ranging, cohesive policy strategy. The plan would make schools safer, offer new pathways to graduation and post-high school success, recruit and retain good teachers, help students learn to read well, and provide other supports to deliver a high-quality education in Michigan.

Recent assessment results showed how severely students are struggling with the basics. Three out of five Michigan third graders aren’t proficient in reading and language arts, and seven out of 10 Michigan sixth graders aren’t proficient in math.

“This plan reflects what I’m hearing from people in our community,” Steele said. “Parents want their children to be safe, and they want more choices for their kids’ futures. Teachers want better resources to help their students succeed, and they want to spend less time worrying about red tape. This plan addresses all of that.”

The announcement comes in the early weeks of the new school year and months after the governor signed a dismal education budget that passed along party lines. The budget provided no increase to core student funding and eliminated 92% of funding for school safety and mental health. It has received harsh criticism from education leaders, who have highlighted the program cuts and layoffs that will result.

The plan Steele is backing will restore the more than $300 million that Democrats cut from school safety and mental health — providing schools necessary funds to continue upgrading building security, maintain mental health programs, and retain school resource officers and counselors. The reinstated funding would protect students and educators while giving parents peace of mind.

It will also provide new pathways to graduation and enable students to enroll in more career and technical education courses that will develop their skills and interests with an eye toward life after school. Under the plan’s modernized Michigan Merit Curriculum, high schoolers will build on a strong foundation in math, science, English, and social science, with new options for fulfilling some required credits with specialized courses, such as construction math, accounting, computer science, coding, and trade classes.

Steele’s measure, House Bill 5931, focuses on reducing administrative costs and directing more resources into Michigan classrooms. It allows for greater consolidation of administrative services across school districts, giving schools the opportunity to free up resources that can be directed toward shrinking class sizes, supporting teachers, and giving students a better learning environment.

“This is about making smarter use of the resources we already have,” Steele said. “Right now, too many of our districts are duplicating services when they could be working together and putting more dollars into their classrooms. Whether it’s sharing transportation services or administrative roles, this plan will give schools more flexibility, so they can focus on what really matters: educating our kids.”

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