School Safety Funding Advocacy Letter
Dear Elected Representative,
The Williamston Community Schools Board of Education calls on our state legislature to restore School Safety 31aa categorical funding without conditions in the 2026-2027 State School Aid Budget. Williamston students lost $305,136.76 in funding designed to ensure their safety due to the misguided, poorly constructed, and unconstitutional provisions included in the 31aa legislation this school year.
We expect you to support the following provisions in the 2026-2027 State School Aid Budget:
- Ensure complete 31aa categorical funding without conditions or restrictions
- Remove any language prohibiting the supplanting of staff positions previously supported by these funds, as the supplement-not-supplant requirement will no longer apply due to the inability to access these funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year
- Appropriate an additional $305,136.76 to Williamston Community Schools to address the loss of 31aa funding that occurred during the 2025-2026 school year
Ensuring the safety of our students and educators while they are attending school is perhaps the most important responsibility of any elected official. After many years of advocacy by students, educators, and parents, the state legislature finally responded by allocating resources in the State School Aid Budget under Section 31aa. These funds, first appropriated in 2022-2023, were instrumental to improving both the physical security of buildings and adding mental health and security professionals in our schools. Examples of how 31aa funding has been utilized in Williamston Community Schools include the following:
- Employing a therapy/detection dog team
- Hiring additional School Social Workers
- Hiring School Counselors
- Conducting Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) exercises
- Adding security cameras
- Installing protective window film
- Upgrading classroom doors
- Providing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programming for students
Like approximately 75% of public schools in Michigan, Williamston Community Schools was unable to access 31aa funding this year due to unconstitutional provisions included in the vaguely written legislation. These caveats did nothing to increase school accountability but did make our schools less secure while simultaneously diminishing essential mental health services for our students.
Funding school safety measures to keep children safe is not only your ethical and moral responsibility but also the minimum expectation of your constituents when constructing the State School Aid Budget.
Do the right thing and approve 31aa funding that keeps students safe at school without conditions or restrictions.
Sincerely,
The Williamston Community Schools Board of Education