Koleszar, Education Committee to Hold Remote Committee Hearing, Mental health on agenda as crucial element in school safety

LANSING, Mich., Feb. 27, 2024 — State Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth), chair of the House Education Committee, will be holding a committee hearing in Sterling Heights on Monday, March 11, from 5:30-7 p.m. The hearing is scheduled to be remote at Sterling Heights high school, so lawmakers, experts and community members can come together in a location that would be impacted by the topic at hand: the importance of school mental health care professionals and their essential role in school safety. The public and members of the press are encouraged to join. 

 

“Keeping students safe is a central priority for my colleagues and me, and we understand that in order to improve school safety, we must address it from all angles,” Koleszar said. “There are so many aspects to factor in when it comes to school safety — a critical one being mental health and supporting the essential professionals who work in that area. 

 

“The ultimate goal is to craft legislation that will improve school safety, while simultaneously addressing the shortage of mental health care workers in our educational system. I’m looking forward to hearing testimony from experts and listening to residents in this upcoming committee hearing — this is a vital step, so that we can be well-informed as we continue to craft smart legislation that will keep kids safe and support our mental health care workers,” Koleszar continued. 

 

“Last year, we made significant investments in our schools and the safety of kids — we included $300 million over two years for mental health investments in schools; plus, almost $320 million was designated specifically for school safety. But the work isn’t done yet, which is why we are holding this committee hearing focusing on an important element of school safety, and we will be prioritizing school safety in our coming budget, too. It’s also important to mention that this is the first of a series of school safety committee hearings on the horizon. The conversation doesn’t stop here — we are going to keep the momentum going for our schools and students,” Koleszar concluded.