The following column was published by the Lapeer County Press on Saturday, August 23

Students in Lapeer, Genesee and Tuscola counties are heading back to school and set to begin another year preparing for their futures.

This is a special time for parents as they watch their children grow. This week, I dropped my daughter off at college for the start of her school year.

As legislators, it is crucial that we fight for every dollar possible to go into our classrooms to support students and put them in a position to thrive. I wanted to highlight a few ways we are doing that during the current legislative term.

Our House K-12 budget plan that we voted to advance in June raises the foundation allowance to $12,000 per student, up nearly $2,400 from the current year. It also moves away from Lansing’s onesize fits-all mandates by giving local districts more freedom over how to use their resources.

These mandates dictate spending through dozens of narrow state grant programs. But some districts may need more funding for one specific area — like transportation or after-school programs — compared to another. At the same time, some districts can contract with entities that provide a service for less cost than what they would receive from the state for the same service. This leads to wasted state dollars that can’t be used for other needs locally! Our plan provides needed flexibility with funding and empowers schools to decide where it should be best used to fit local needs.

The plan also restores critical school safety and mental health funding that was reduced drastically last year, while setting aside more than $300 million for competitive grants to shrink class sizes, boost early reading success and improve school infrastructure.

Our state’s rankings for education are unacceptable. In a recent study by U.S. News and World Report, Michigan ranks 41st out of 50 states for education. We’re 43rd in high school graduation rates and 44th in SAT scores. Even the governor’s own population commission that she appointed found that seven out of 10 Michigan students can’t read or do math proficiently.

We can’t keep going with this status quo. Prior to the advancement of our K-12 budget plan, I voted for bills in April that strengthen core standards for reading and writing to help guide local curriculum development and make key updates to support students beginning with the 2026-27 school year. The plans also give school districts the ability to explore short interim assessment tests during the school year to see how efficiently children are learning instead of conducting one much longer and stress-inducing test.

Scores for the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) are commonly received by schools after a school year has ended, meaning it’s too late to make any needed adjustments. Students don’t have a chance to account for what they may have missed, and educators are unable to effectively gauge a student’s progress and help kids who need it in real time.

Sound budgeting and plans that prioritize student success will provide an effective way forward for our state and our students.

To all students and families across the 67th House District, I wish you the very best this new school year. I will continue working on your behalf to ensure we are using tax dollars efficiently and delivering the most effective policies for our kids.