To provide a “template” or “place holder” for a Fiscal Year 2019-20 K-12 School Aid budget. This bill contains no appropriations, but may be amended at a later date to include them.   Official Text and Analysis.

With the recommendation that the substitute (S-3) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

To give additional dollars to school districts with fewer than 1,000 students, and to not reimburse districts that spend money on data tools they can get from the state or an ISD.

To increase funding in a number of areas for districts that have a higher proportion of children from low income households (called "at risk" students), reduce funding for public "cyber schools," and adopt a number of other changes that reflect Democratic caucus preferences.

To increase spending on government-funded pre-school programs by $79 million, which would be used to admit children from higher income families, and increase the amount spent on this per child from $7,250 to $8,500.

To repeal a school aid act provision that prohibits school districts from establishing racial or religious preferences for employees, automatically deducting union dues from employee compensation, and bars practices that conflict with any state or federal law regarding district or intermediate district transparency.

To repeal a school aid act provision that lets the state reimburse nonpublic schools for costs they incur complying with state health, safety, or welfare mandates.

To repeal a school aid act provision that prohibits districts from starting the school year before Labor Day.

To spend more on hiring "early literacy coaches" (and paying them more) to help teachers with K-3 reading instruction; and also to spend more on unspecified efforts to "be in the top 10 states in grade 4 reading proficiency by 2025" according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

To authorize a grant of an amount to be determined later to pay a "Michigan Fitness Foundation to work with the department to invest in a physical education curriculum".

The Senate version of the K-12 school aid budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct 1, 2019. This bill would appropriate a total of $15.240 billion, compared to $14.765 billion approved last year. Of this, $1.749 billion is federal money. School districts with lower revenue would get a $270 increase in per-pupil aid, and higher spending ones would get an additional $135 per pupil.