LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — Today, Governor Whitmer is set to sign House Bill 6012, a bipartisan bill designed to invest in school safety by fully funding risk assessments and critical incidence mapping to help protect students and create safety plans in the event of an emergency.
The bill will also fully fund resources to hire and retain mental health professionals, enhance security measures, and provide additional learning opportunities for Oxford Community Schools.
“I am proud to sign this bill to help keep students safe. This bill represents a true collaboration between the legislature, my office, community members, and school leadership to make sure our schools have the tools they need to protect students in cases of school shootings or other critical incidents,” Whitmer said in a press release.
The legislation will provide a total of $14 million that will be awarded to all schools, including traditional public, intermediate school districts, and private schools, through $2,000 grants administered by the Department of Education.
The bill will invest in Oxford Community Schools to help them recover from the November 2021 school shooting and allow them to hire mental health professionals, enhance security, and offer additional learning time to students lost in the wake of the tragedy.
“Today we are also proud to deliver necessary resources to Oxford Community Schools so they can hire more mental health staff and offer additional learning time to their students as they recover from the horrific shooting last year. I know we can continue working together to make sure we are supporting our students, including improving public safety measures to keep violent criminals out of our schools and off our streets, funding effective law enforcement solutions, and storing firearms safely. Let’s get it done,” Whitmer added.
