Dear Neighbors,

I am excited to share with you historic investments we have secured for our public schools — from school safety and mental health to literacy support.  My bill returning about $600 million back into public schools was signed into law yesterday. This fiscally responsible legislation, House Bill 5803, stops overpayment into the Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System while keeping the payoff date the same — freeing up millions for our district’s schools to put dollars back into classrooms and teacher’s salaries. 

I am excited to share with you the estimated per pupil increases in funding this will bring to our schools, based on last year’s pupil count:

  • Livonia Public Schools: $492 per pupil
  • Northville Public Schools: $431 per pupil
  • Plymouth-Canton Community Schools: $423 per pupil

Press Release

Last week, I also voted for a total of $150 million in funding for schools to spend responsibly on school safety and mental health. This legislation empowers school districts across the state to invest in solutions tailored to each school’s individual needs.

As a teacher-turned-legislator, uplifting students and educators in our area is one of my utmost priorities. It is clear that the support our local schools provide for our bright-minded students is irreplaceable. That’s why I am delighted to share with you the funding our district’s schools will receive from this bill:

  • Livonia Public Schools: $1,502,825
  • Northville Public Schools: $793,818
  • Plymouth-Canton Community Schools: $1,838,305

 

An infographic for Michigan State Representative Matt Koleszar of the 22nd House District for the total funding for school safety and mental health in fiscal year 2025. Across the top, header text reads "Strong Schools, Healthy Kids. I brought home a total of $4,134,948 for our local schools." Two columns read, "School district and Dollars for our kids." The school information includes "Livonia Public Schools, $1,502,825. Northville Public Schools, $793,818. Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, $1,838,305."

 

We are taking action to keep our schools strong and our kids healthy, and this funding is just one part of our transformative plan. The total of $150 million passed in this bill joins other great investments:

  • $1 million for educational materials on the safe storage of firearms
  • Allowing an anonymous tip line to accept reports of improperly stored firearms that a child might be able to access.

Strong schools support healthy kids, and I will continue fighting to put our schools first.

Learning to read is the foundation for not only academic achievement, but lifelong success. We tackled the literacy gap last week by passing Senate Bill 567 and SB 568, mandating early screenings and curricula for dyslexia and similar reading challenges in schools. Every child deserves an equitable path to literacy — we are building that path. 

I encourage you to reach out to me and my staff with any questions, comments or concerns you may have regarding the school aid supplemental. Please do not hesitate to reach out by phone at (517) 373-3816 or send an email to MattKoleszar@house.mi.gov.

 

Sincerely,

Matt Koleszar

State Representative, 22nd House District