Dear Friends,
It is an honor to serve and represent you in the Michigan Senate. These past few years have confronted all of us in extremely challenging ways. But with support from our friends, families, and neighbors, we have been able to get through it together.
Thanks to the support and engagement of citizens like you, Michigan has improved our schools and provided helpful initiatives and programs for Michigan families. I’m proud to have helped secure record funding for public school per-pupil funding, the Great Start Readiness Program, affordable community college programs, roads, and so much more. By doing this and more, there is no better place to live than Southwest Michigan.
I’m privileged to represent our varied communities and I’m working hard every day to secure the necessary resources to our district from Lansing. Every call, email, and letter you write to my office helps me better represent you, your family, and our community.
If you have questions, would like to share your ideas, or if you need help navigating our state government, you can contact my office by email at SenSMcCann@senate.michigan.gov, or by phone at (517) 373-5100, including a toll-free option at (855) DIST020 (855-347-8020).
You can also sign up for my e-newsletter and stay apprised of current issues at the Capitol at SenSeanMcCann.com.
Sincerely,
Sean McCann
State Senator
District 20
Website: SenSeanMcCann.com
Email: SenSMcCann@senate.michigan.gov
Toll-free: (855) DIST020 or (855) 347-8020
Prepare for Future Education Costs
If you are facing college in the future for children or grandchildren, now is a great time to explore all the options the State of Michigan offers to help families save and prepare for education costs. Michigan offers two savings plans, the Michigan Education Trust (MET) and the Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP):
Michigan Education Trust
MET allows for the pre-purchase of tuition, based on today’s price, that is later paid out at the future cost when the child is ready to attend college. These funds can be used for tuition and mandatory fees. An MET contract offers state income tax deductions, can be transferred to family members, can be used at out-of-state schools as well as independent and trade schools, and offers a variety of savings and payment plans. To learn more, please visit SETwithMET.com.
Michigan Education Savings Program
Unlike MET, MESP is an investment-based savings plan, like a 401(k), that offers 22 different investment options and can be used for tuition, fees, books, and room and board. A family’s MESP can be transferred to another family member, offers state income tax deductions, can be used at any eligible educational institution, and an account can be opened with as little as $25. To learn more about MESP, please visit MIsaves.com.
In addition, Michigan strives to help families prepare and save with their Student Scholarships, Grants and Outreach Division and MIABLE 529(A) plans. Information on these programs can be found at Michigan.gov/mistudentaid.
Caring for MI Future
It can be difficult for parents to find affordable, high-quality childcare and educational options for their children, especially during the past few years. Fortunately, the Legislature and our state government have recognized this need and made it a priority to fund and expand access to childcare across Michigan.
Recently, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the Caring for MI Future program to expand upon this commitment by providing the resources necessary to open 1,000 new childcare programs by the end of 2024.
The Caring for MI Future plan helps educational entrepreneurs identify and renovate facilities to care for kids, find startup funding, provide support for recruiting staff, and access to business development tools. The goal of the program is to expand access to quality, affordable childcare for Michigan families while relieving some of the financial barriers for entrepreneurs and for parents.
For additional details on when specific grants will be available to entrepreneurs, visit Michigan.gov/childcare.
Getting a Head Start in Education
Childcare and early education programs are silent drivers of our economy. Access to safe, affordable childcare and preschool-level education programs give families peace of mind while also providing children with an opportunity to socialize and learn the fundamental building blocks of knowledge. The benefits that these programs provide are immense, and we have seen that especially throughout the pandemic.
Childcare is more than a necessity for families in a 21st-century economy — countless studies have shown that children who attend high quality, center-based childcare, pre- kindergarten, or preschool programs tend
to perform better in elementary school. Researchers have also found these children have better pre-academic and language skills, perform better in math and reading in the early grades of elementary school, and have improved outcomes among children in families with low education or low incomes.
Great Start
Michigan’s Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) provides state-funded preschool at no cost to the students’ families. The GSRP currently provides preschool to Michigan’s 4-year-olds with factors that may place them at risk of educational failure. The GSRP in Kalamazoo County is a collaborative and inclusive effort between Head Start, the Great Start Readiness Program, and Kalamazoo County Ready 4s to provide high-quality pre-kindergarten experiences that prepare children and families for lifelong success.
To find out more about GSRP in Kalamazoo County, call (269) 250-9200 or visit KRESA.org.
Record Funding for Education Secured in State Budget
On Thursday, June 30, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and legislative leaders of the Michigan House and Senate reached an agreement on the state’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget. Both bills passed with bipartisan support in each chamber.
The $76.7 billion budget, with $19.6 billion from the School Aid Fund and $15.3 billion from the General Fund, will grow Michigan’s economy and workforce, make record investments in every student and classroom, protect public health and public safety, expand mental health resources, and empower working families and communities.
Students and schools are the winners of the FY23 budget. There is a record $450 per-pupil increase in the K-12 foundation allowance, bringing the total funding to $9,150 per student. There is also $300 million for school mental health programs, along with $25 million for before and after school programs.
Both community colleges and universities will see a 5% increase in operations funding, in addition to an investment of $300 million into the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement Service, from which Western Michigan University stands to benefit.
To help a looming teacher shortage, the Legislature included funding to help train and retain teachers. The budget sets up $305 million in scholarship funding for students in public and private teacher preparation programs to earn teaching certificates; $175 million for grow-your-own programs that will support current school employees in earning a teaching certificate; and, $50 million for stipends for student teachers to help pay for tuition and other costs while student teaching.
As your state senator, I am committed to upholding an education budget that works to improve every student’s in-class experience, builds up school infrastructure, and invests in our Kalamazoo area teachers.
MICHIGAN RECONNECT
Last February, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the Michigan Reconnect program which helps Michiganders afford community college tuition or skilled trades training costs. The program is for people who are 25 years or older, have a high school degree, and live in Michigan.
In the first year of the program, nearly 93,000 Michiganders signed up for free community college or a skills degree. The program pays the remaining balance of in-district tuition and mandatory fees after other state and federal aid have been applied. Students who attend out- of-district community colleges can also receive a large tuition discount.
With bipartisan support in the Legislature, we are trying to ensure this program stays funded for years to come. If you are interested in learning more about the Michigan Reconnect program, visit Michigan.gov/reconnect.
MI Tri-Share Child Care
Michigan’s Tri-Share Child Care program is the first of its kind in the country. It is a private-public partnership that shares the cost of childcare equally between eligible employees, their employer, and the State of Michigan. This innovative approach works to increase access to high-quality, affordable childcare for working families while helping retain and attract talent.
After a successful trial in Kent County, MI Tri-Share Child Care has expanded to five regions of Michigan, including Kalamazoo County. Southwest Child Care Resources is serving as our region’s hub. To participate in the program, employees must be employed by a participating employer, have an income above 185% of the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) and below 300%, and not otherwise be eligible for the Child Development and Care Program.
Participating employers must agree to identify and recruit eligible employees, provide the employer portion of each participating employee’s childcare costs, and maintain communication with the facilitator hub regarding each employee’s continued employment and eligibility.
This program is made possible thanks to the historic investments in childcare that have been made at the state level this past year. It would not have been possible, without a commitment from the federal government and from our governor, to make childcare a priority post-pandemic.