Whitmer signs bill to send $4.4B in rescue funds to schools
PETERS
STABENOW
PETERS
STABENOW
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MARQUETTE -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday signed House Bill 4421, which appropriates $4.4 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funding to support schools across the state and help students, teachers and schools recover from the pandemic.
"We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make the type of investment in our schools that will put Michigan students and educators first as they head into the next school year," Whitmer said in a statement. "Our actions today prove that Republicans and Democrats in Lansing can work together to enact budgets that are laser-focused on helping Michigan take full advantage of the unprecedented opportunity we have right now to make transformative investments in our schools that will have positive impacts for generations."
The bipartisan supplemental bill distributes over $4 billion from the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER, to power schools' efforts to get kids back on track, the governor's office said. A total of $841 million comes from ESSER II funding from December, while $3.3 billion comes from ESSER III funding from President Biden's American Rescue Plan.
The ESSER funds will be distributed to districts based on their Title I, Part A allocation, meaning more money will get to districts that serve students with the highest need. The funds help meet a wide range of needs arising from the coronavirus pandemic, including reopening schools safely, sustaining their safe operation, and addressing students' social, emotional, mental health and academic needs resulting from the pandemic.
"Earlier this year, I appointed the Student Recovery Advisory Council to better understand our schools' needs and identify evidence-based strategies to help every student thrive after the pandemic," Whitmer said. "We know this recovery isn't just about brushing up on fractions or remembering when to use the quadratic formula. Our students need a comprehensive recovery."
The funding represents supplemental funding for the current year budget. Legislation for the school aid budget for next fiscal year, which begins on Oct. 1, is being reviewed.
Senators applaud funding
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Hills, and Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, on Wednesday welcomed the announcement that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded over $12.7 million in funding to Michigan Head Start programs across the state through the American Rescue Plan, legislation both senators helped enact.
This funding will help programs build back to fully operational, in-person services this fall as well as support vaccination of Head Start staff and families.
"After facing significant challenges caused by the pandemic, this American Rescue Plan funding for Head Start programs across our state will make critical investments for Michigan children in these early childhood education programs," Peters said in a statement.
Stabenow noted Head Start programs provide "nutritious meals, health services and quality early childhood education" which makes all the difference in helping children succeed.
"This is a great example of how the American Rescue Plan prioritized working families and is helping them succeed," Stabenow said in a statement.
The Alger Marquette Community Action Board was awarded $375,701. The Baraga-Houghton-Keweenaw Child Development Board, Inc., was awarded $455,867. The Chippewa Luce Mackinac Community Action Agency, Inc., received an award of $358,950.
Other Upper Peninsula agencies receiving awards were: the Dickinson-Iron Intermediate School District, $293,143; the Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency, $137,598; and the Menominee-Delta-Schoolcraft Community Action Agency, $387,666. The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians was awarded $147,170.
Tax credit expanded
Peters on Wednesday urged Michigan families not to miss out on the additional benefits that will be provided by the Child Tax Credit expansion. The expansion was signed into law as part of the American Rescue Plan, which he helped pass in the Senate.
Most American families will be eligible for the monthly payments, which will begin today and last for one year. Eligible families will get $250 each month for each child 6-17 years old, and for every child under 6 years old, families will get $300 each month. Families will get the full credit if they make up to $150,000 for a couple or $112,500 for a family with a single parent.
The payments will be deposited automatically for families who filed taxes in 2019 or 2020. and for those families, no additional action is required. However, families that did not file taxes either year must sign up on the IRS website by today to receive the full benefits. Families that sign up after today will begin receiving the expanded support in the next monthly payment on Aug. 15.
MI Shot To Win Sweepstakes underway
Whitmer on Tuesday announced more than 1 million Michiganders have entered the MI Shot To Win Sweepstakes, a lottery-style raffle that gives vaccinated Michiganders a chance to win more than $5 million in cash and a combined total of nearly $500,000 in college scholarships.
As part of an effort to encourage more Michiganders to get vaccinated, the MI Shot To Win Sweepstakes includes 30 daily drawing prizes worth $50,000 for those who get their first dose during the sweepstakes.
As of 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, the MI Shot To Win Sweepstakes had received 1,001,149 applicants for the grand prizes, with 44,966 young Michiganders signed up for the scholarship drawing.
The sweepstakes began on July 1, and ends on Aug. 3. Eligibility criteria for each of the drawings is at www.MIShotToWin .com. The first round of winners, including the recipient of a $1 million drawing, will be publicly announced on Monday. More details about the announcement of the winners is pending.
"The response by Michiganders to the MI Shot To Win Sweepstakes is outstanding," Whitmer said in a statement. "It's exciting to see so many people signing up for the sweepstakes as they are the best messengers who can encourage their family and friends to get their COVID-19 vaccinations and help answer any questions they have about the process."
Michigan's sweepstakes giveaway is powered by Meijer in partnership with the Michigan Association of United Ways and the state of Michigan. The statewide vaccine sweepstakes is supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan Association of State Universities, the Small Business Association of Michigan, Business Leaders of Michigan, the Protect Michigan Commission and other organizations.
The aim of the MI Shot To Win Sweepstakes is to increase the state's vaccination rate by roughly 9% -- or approximately 667,000 Michiganders -- to achieve the statewide goal of 70% of residents ages 16 and older who are immunized.
As of Sunday, 61.9% of Michiganders age 16 and older have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, according to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services data.
Bay College prepares for fall
Bay College announced it's continuing preparations for a fully open campus this fall, which includes in-person, hands-on classrooms, open labs, high quality online learning options, services and campus activities.
"Bay College employees and students have done a remarkable job of navigating the challenges of COVID-19 thus far," said Dr. Laura Coleman, Bay College president, in a news release. "We are very excited to bring Bay students back to the classrooms and campuses where students will be able to engage in the full college experience. I personally am looking forward to the HUB, Student Success Centers and spaces across both campuses buzzing with students studying, obtaining tutoring, uniting with peers and attending athletic events."
The Bay College Board of Trustees recently set tuition rates for the 2021-22 academic year. Rates will increase $5 per contact hour in Delta County and $8 in Dickinson County, while housing costs will remain flat. The college indicated that Bay tuition and fee rates are two to five times less than university rates, saving students tens of thousands of dollars on college classes that transfer to four-year degrees, as well as certificates and degrees that lead directly to the workforce.
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds provided to Bay College as part of the federal stimulus packages will offset added expenses for students. The funds may be accessed by all students, including Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners students.
The Michigan Reconnect program is currently taking applications for students 25 years of age or older to attain a community college career certificate or associate degree for free or reduced tuition, according to Bay College.
Sault Tribe allocates funds
The Sault Tribe Board of Directors announced on Tuesday that it has appropriated $91 million of the tribe's American Rescue Act funding at $2,000 for every tribal member.
With a tribal population of over 45,000, the distribution of checks is a monumental job, it said, which requires address updates, enrollment of minor children and the completion of a form -- a simple statement of need rather than an income-based application.
For more information, visit the Sault Tribe website at www.saulttribe.com, where tribal members may fill out the form. Members are also welcome to update their address by calling Tribal Enrollment at 800-251-6597.
Members are advised to be patient. The bulk of checks should arrive by mid to late August.
Approved at the Tuesday tribe board meeting was a $25 million commitment to address the drug and substance abuse challenge in the larger tribal community, including the opiate epidemic that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report as having some of the highest rates of affliction among American Indians and Alaska Natives due to historical and intergenerational trauma.
The Sault Tribe said it was one of the first tribes in the country to approve a tribal action plan as a first step.
Additionally, over the course of the pandemic, the tribe's main revenue source for operations was interrupted by up to a 70% loss. To support the safety of the public and its team members, casino operations were shuttered for two fiscal quarters, it said. Casino payroll is $80 million annually, which expends the vast majority of its gross revenues.
A total of 100% of net revenues for gaming operations -- $17 million annually -- supports tribal programs, services and operations, the Sault Tribe reported. The estimated amount left to recover after various revenue replacement loans were applied in 2020 is $38 million, and another $20 million is estimated for 2021.
To preserve the cash flow from the casino to tribal programs and to fully replenish lost revenues, the board earmarked $50 million for revenue replacement. These funds, it said, are expected to stabilize payroll and tribal programs, services and operations.
The net effect is that over $80 million remains to be allocated, along with an additional $50 million for the second distribution of the American Rescue Act funds, which the tribe is projected to receive today, the Sault Tribe said.
The tribal board is meeting weekly to hear tribal priorities, review the tribe's strategic plan, and merge needs and wants for the remaining $130 million. Also, the board has identified the need to hold large in-person and virtual tribal member input sessions to help identify needs.