A bill to establish a learning loss recovery grant program; to establish a learning loss recovery fund; to provide for certain grants; to prescribe conditions for the use of grant funds; to prescribe for the use of money in the learning loss recovery fund; to provide for the administration of the learning loss recovery grant program; to provide for the administration of the learning loss recovery fund; to prescribe certain powers and duties of certain state officers, agencies, and departments; and to make appropriations to the learning loss recovery fund.
This bill aims to establish a learning loss recovery grant program and fund within the Michigan state treasury to address educational disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Managed by the Department of Treasury, this program will distribute grants to eligible students who have experienced learning losses due to COVID-19 related school closures. Eligibility requires students to have been enrolled in a public or nonpublic school in Michigan during the pandemic. The application process allows for submissions by parents or legal guardians on behalf of the students, with income information based on the 2020 tax year or alternative proofs of income. The fund will prioritize applicants living at or below the federal poverty guidelines, distributing at least 40% of the funds to this group across consecutive funding rounds. If funds remain undistributed after three rounds due to a lack of qualified applicants, additional rounds may be administered. Applications for grants are open for specific periods for each funding round, with deadlines ranging from May 15, 2023, to August 15, 2023, for the first three rounds. Grant disbursements are scheduled by specific dates for each round, with the final disbursements by September 1, 2023. Grants, capped at $1,500 per eligible student, are distributed via an electronic account and must be used for educational supplies, opportunities, and supportive services through a designated marketplace. This includes tutoring, software, before- or after-school programs, day camps, trade courses, and more, excluding tuition and expenses for nonpublic school attendance. Priority in grant distribution is given to applicants with the lowest learning retention scores, calculated based on household poverty scores and the number of days without in-person or virtual education options. An online marketplace will connect grant recipients with eligible services, and vendors must apply for inclusion. Grant money must be used within 12 months, with any remaining funds redeposited for future distribution. The program's effectiveness will be reviewed annually, with findings published on the department's website and submitted to relevant governmental bodies. Additionally, the legislature shall appropriate $500,000,000.00 in available federal funding to the fund, and a COVID-19 school disruption audit will be made publicly available to provide transparency and inform the program's administration.
Co-sponsored by Reps.
Referred to the Committee on Education
