State Rep. Jaime Greene said a plan signed by the governor today restores a portion of the funding for school safety and mental health services that was cut earlier this year, but there’s still much work to be done to ensure local schools have the resources they need.

The new state school budget, passed by the Legislature earlier this year along partisan lines, included a $302 million cut to school safety and mental health funding, which local schools rely on to pay for school resource officers, guidance counselors, and building upgrades that keep students safe. Greene voted for the supplemental budget plan signed into law today, but remains concerned that it restores just $125 million of the $302 million that was cut — a far cry from what schools need to keep children safe.

“This isn’t a win for Michigan families — it’s an attempt at damage control,” said Greene, R-Richmond. “Lansing Democrats caused this crisis when they slashed funding that schools relied on to protect our students and support their mental health. Now, they’re throwing a partial fix at the problem and hoping everyone will forget the mistake they made.

“Our schools shouldn’t have to fight for every dollar to ensure our kids are safe in the classroom. This half-measure still leaves districts scrambling. We need full restoration of school safety funding, not just crumbs.”

Last month, Greene and other House Republicans introduced a comprehensive plan to improve Michigan schools. It includes a bill to restore the full $302 million cut to school safety. It also includes measures to modernize Michigan’s merit curriculum to offer students more pathways to success and gives teachers new tools to improve literacy and reach students with dyslexia.

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