Michigan schools can spend federal funds on staff salaries through April 2026

School districts may have until April 2026 to spend federal school rescue dollars, the U.S. Department of Education recently announced.

To qualify for this extension, school districts must have a signed contract for the expenditure and an extension request approved by the Michigan Department of Education prior to Sept. 30, 2024.

This extension will provide school districts with flexibility when using federal rescue funds to address staffing shortages, by allowing districts and local unions to negotiate fair compensation packages to attract and retain talented educators in a highly competitive labor market.

Many school districts are also using federal funds to add staff to support student mental health and tutoring programs. The extension will allow districts to continue those efforts.

The state Department of Education expects additional federal guidance in the coming months and has committed to sharing it as soon as possible.

American Rescue Plan Bargaining News Legislation Newsroom

Releated

Alert: Contact your member of Congress to reject voucher scheme and Medicaid cuts

Congress is considering a dangerous budget proposal that includes a $20 billion federal school voucher scheme, which would drain critical resources from neighborhood public schools and funnel taxpayer dollars to for-profit private schools elsewhere. To add insult to injury, the budget proposal would make huge cuts to Medicaid for families and children across Michigan, causing […]