Michigan Legislature Appropriates $2.5 M to Reimburse Private Schools

Michigan will soon become the fourth state to reimburse private schools for the state mandates they are required to fulfill. Michigan’s latest budget bill, currently awaiting Governor Rick Snyder’s signature, included $2.5 million for nonpublic school reimbursements (click here to view bill language). The funding is expected to cover a portion of the full cost of compliance and will be limited to health and safety requirements mandated by the state.

The Michigan Association of Nonpublic Schools and the Michigan Catholic Conference led the multi-year, bipartisan effort to push the state to reimburse private schools for the 44 health, safety, and welfare mandates required by the State of Michigan. Although the program is only a tiny portion of the nearly $55 billion budget, some legislators and groups opposed the nonpublic school funding and are calling for a line-item veto. Michigan residents are encouraged to contact Governor Snyder and ask him to keep the $2.5 million of nonpublic school funding in the budget to promote the health and safety of all children in Michigan, regardless of where they attend school.

While Michigan has one of the country’s strictest prohibition against direct or indirect funding of private schools, these reimbursement and grant programs are an important step in treating private school students fairly. Agudath Israel believes that the health and safety of a private school student should not be any less important than that of a child who attends traditional public school.

The budget also included $2 million for safety and security grants and $4.5 million (up to $950 per school building) to cover the costs of the voluntary testing, fixture replacement, filter purchases, and plumbing assessments for public and private schools worried about lead-tainted water in the aftermath of the Flint water crisis.