Whitmer signs $24.3 billion Michigan education budget bill

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) Tuesday signed a $24.3 billion education budget for fiscal 2024 that her office is hailing as "historic."

The new budget ensures all public school students get two free meals a day, places more priority on mental health resources and takes the first steps towards providing free pre-K for Michigan students, among other changes, according to a press release from the governor’s office shared with The Hill.

The budget also designates $13.3 million for "a 50% increase in funding for English language learners" at the pre-K education level and $10 million for "community colleges and public universities for critical incident mapping to help with campus safety."

The budget also dedicates $611 million to increasing per-pupil funding, an additional $458 per student, for a total of $9,608 per pupil.

The budget marks the "highest state per-student investment in Michigan history," Whitmer's office said.

"Every Michigan child deserves a chance to pursue their potential and build a bright future. This historic education budget will make that possible," Whitmer said in the release.

"This budget puts students first and supports parents by expanding access to free pre-K, providing free breakfast and lunch to all public school students, and improving higher education," she added.

Whitmer previously said her focus during her gubernatorial term is to better her state, shooting down a possible 2024 presidential bid.

"I feel really lucky to be the governor of Michigan. I have lived here my whole life. And this is where my focus is for the next four years," she previously told CNN’s “State of the Union” host Dana Bash in 2022.