Governor Gretchen Whitmer is hoping funding for school nutrition programs will be preserved in the new state budget.
Whitmer visited a preschool in Metro Detroit this week to tout the Pre-K For All Program. She says it has boosted Pre-K enrollment nearly 25% in the past two years and has led to better academic outcomes for Michigan school children. She added that SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is another one of those crucial programs that saw federal cuts last month.
“Serving Michigan students breakfast and lunch at school has been a game changer for so many families, for our schools,” Whitmer said. “The reports that I get back from what it’s meant for behavior and engagement in schools, it’s a meaningful investment that we’ve made and I want to make sure that that continues. And certainly without a budget, none of us can count on that.”
Whitmer says she’s hopeful nutrition programs will be included in the state budget.
October 1 is the start of a new fiscal year in Michigan, and the drop dead date for lawmakers to secure the budget to avoid a potential government shutdown. Education funding remains the biggest sticking point.
