S T A T E S E N A T O R

JIM STAMASSENATE DISTRICT 36

TOLL FREE 855.347.8036

E-MAIL senjstamas@senate.michigan.gov

VISIT www.SenatorJimStamas.com

BACKtoSCHOOL 20

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Success in school starts with reading.

I look forward to visiting elementary

classrooms during March is Reading

Month as a guest reader. It’s a great

way to talk with students about the

importance of reading.

DEAR NEIGHBOR:

The start of a new school year is an exciting time for students and

their families. There are old friends to meet, new friends to make and

much to learn and discover.

All of us — parents, teachers and neighbors — want our children to

achieve. By working together, we can make sure our schools are able

to provide students with the education and skills they need to succeed

in the 21st century economy.

Investing in education is one of my top priorities. I am pleased to send

along this Back to School Update with a special section on school

funding as well as other legislative news and helpful information.

Best wishes to all for a successful school year!

Sincerely,

BACKtoSCHOOLSTAMAS: LET’S INVEST IN OUR KIDSSchool budget makes the grade!

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For the seventh year in a row, the Legislature increased funding for K-12 education.

That’s a $13 billion state investment in the education of Michigan’s children!

Along with an increase in the foundation allowance, we boosted funding by

$120 million to help schools educate at-risk students and added money for early

literacy grants. We also provided $9.6 million in Career and Technical Education

equipment upgrades to better prepare students for in-demand jobs.

We allotted $1.3 billion to reduce schools’ retirement costs and pay down debt so

more dollars can be focused on the classroom.

The budget also increased funding for our public universities and community colleges.

IN ALL, MORE THAN 46 CENTS OF EVERY STATE TAX DOLLAR GOES TO EDUCATION!

STATE SENATOR JIM STAMAS • Toll Free 855.347.8036

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K-12 EDUCATION FUNDINGSTATE FUNDING FROM STATE RESOURCES

$12.9 BFY ‘18

$12.3 BFY ‘17

$12.0 BFY ‘16

$11.9 BFY ‘15

$11.5 BFY ‘14

WALK THIS WAY!This year, National Walk to School Day will be celebrated on Oct. 4. More than 300

Michigan schools participated in the event in 2016.

Walking to school provides a great way to start the day, a chance to spend special time with

older siblings, parents or grandparents, a good way to practice safety, and best of all…it’s fun!

STAMAS SUPPORTS NEW LAW TO ENSURE STUDENTS LEARN CPR

High school is a time to help prepare students for the “real world.” Beginning this

school year, a new law makes it more likely that graduates enter the workforce or

attend college having learned a valuable lifesaving skill.

The law adds instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of

an automated external defibrillator (AED) as part of the state health education

standards for grades 7-12. Schools are encouraged to use local law enforcement

or emergency response personnel, or representatives of the Red Cross or the

American Heart Association to provide the training.

The use of CPR and AEDs increases the likelihood a person will survive a cardiac

arrest. If every high school student has this training before graduation, Michigan

will gain 100,000 new CPR-trained individuals each year!

E-Mail senjstamas@senate.michigan.gov • Visit www.SenatorJimStamas.com

SCHOOL BUS SAFETY TIPS FOR DRIVERS:• When overhead lights are FLASHING YELLOW, prepare to stop.

• When overhead lights are FLASHING RED, stop at least 20 feet

away, unless driving in the opposite direction on a divided highway.

• When HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS are flashing, proceed

with caution.

• Slow down in or near school and residential areas.

• Watch for children around parked cars and at bus stops and

crossings.

(Adapted from School Bus Safety, Michigan State Police)

NEW LAW AIMS TO HELP STUDENTS IMPROVE READING Reading skills are

critical to a child’s

academic and future

success.

I supported

legislation — now

law — to make sure

students receive

the early reading

intervention services

they need to help

them read at grade

level by the end of

third grade. Third grade is considered a pivotal time because it is

the last year students “learn to read” before they “read to learn.” If

reading skills are poor at this age, it becomes more and more difficult

for students to catch up.

Under the new law, schools are required to assess the reading

skills of K-3 students, provide individual reading improvement plans

and use early literacy coaches. The plan also emphasizes parental

involvement through “Read at Home” programs.

STAMAS BACKS STEM, IN-DEMAND JOBS BILLS FOR STUDENTSOur high school students need the right resources to help them make

the best decisions they can about their school and career plans.

I recently supported Senate bills that focus on education and

in-demand jobs. Many of Michigan’s high-skilled jobs are in the

science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Senate

Bill 344 would allow a student to receive a STEM endorsement as

an incentive to take more STEM classes. The endorsement would

highlight their accomplishments and give them a competitive

advantage in landing a high-paying job.

Senate Bill 343 would require schools to provide

students with the most recent available

analysis of in-demand jobs in their

local region. By providing high school

students with information about

current and growing careers in

their area, students could

take the appropriate

classes to develop the

skills needed in order to

qualify for these jobs.

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS

MESP www.misaves.com 1-877-861-MESP

Michigan Education Trust www.setwithmet.com 1-800-MET-4-KID

Michigan eLibrary www.mel.org

Michigan School Information www.mischooldata.org

OK2SAY (Student Safety Tip line) 855-565-2729 Text: 652729 (OK2SAY) www.michigan.gov/ok2say