PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE STATE. AND ALL ACROSS MICHIGAN FLAGS HAVE BEEN FLYING AT HALF STAFF UNDER
ORDER FROM THE GOVERNOR. IN THE
LAST YEAR, STATE LEADERS HAVE
TOUTED RECORD INVESTMENTS IN
SCHOOL SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT
COMES TO SCHOOL SAFETY, BUT HOW
MUCH MONEY IS REALLY THERE? AND
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES TO SING
IT SPENT IN THE SCHOOLS,
GRANT HERMES HAS BEEN DIGGING
INTO THE NUMBERS. THE MONEY IS
THERE AND IT IS A LOT OF MONEY,
BUT IT HAS TAKEN A LONG TIME TO
GET OUT THERE TIME THAT MANY
STUDENTS, PARENTS IN SCHOOLS
FEEL LIKE THEY JUST DON’T HAVE.
IN THE YEAR SINCE OXFORD HOW
MUCH GETS SPENT DOWN OVERALL
SCHOOL SPENDING HAS BECOME A HOT
BUTTON ISSUE IN NEW NUMBERS
OBTAINED BY LOCAL 4 FROM
MICHIGAN STATE POLICE, 150
SCHOOLS, BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
, SPENT MILLIONS IN STATE GRANTS
ON SECURITY IN 2022 $850,000 ON
EMERGENCY RESPONSE, LIKE PANIC
SYSTEMS AND TRAUMA SUPPLIES. 2.3
MILLION ON COMMUNICATION LIKE
SYSTEMS OR TWO WAY RADIOS AND
6.8 MILLION ON HARDENING
SCHOOLS. THINGS LIKE NEW
EXTERIOR DOORS, CLASSROOM DOORS
AT ACCESS CONTROL IN DISTRICTS
LIKE NORTHFIELD RECENTLY GAVE
OFFICERS IN THREE SURROUNDING
POLICE DEPARTMENTS ENTRANCE KEY
FOBS TO REACT QUICKLY TO A
THREAT FOR THE MOST EXPLICIT
EXAMPLE THAT I COULD GIVE IS A
COMBINATION OF GRANTS FOR SCHOOL
RESOURCE OFFICERS. BUT THOSE
SPENDING NUMBERS PALE IN
COMPARISON TO PREVIOUS YEARS.
THOSE SAME NUMBERS FROM MSP
SHOWING IN 2018 AND 2019. THE
STATE SPENT $50 MILLION ON
IMPROVING SCHOOL SECURITY BEFORE
THE BUDGET WAS SLASHED IN 2020
AND THEN STOPPED IN 2021 BECAUSE
OF THE PANDEMIC, EVEN THOUGH
THOSE SCHOOLS REQUESTED MORE
THAN $23 MILLION THAT YEAR TO
MAKE THEIR SCHOOLS SAFER,
ACCORDING TO LEGISLATIVE
ESTIMATES SINCE OXFORD STATE
LAWMAKERS HAVE SET ASIDE MORE
THAN A HALF BILLION DOLLARS FOR
SCHOOL SAFETY BUT THAT MONEY HAS
BEEN COMING THROUGH GRANTS OR
LEAVING SCHOOLS DEFEND FOR
THEMSELVES WITHOUT A STATE LIST
OR HUB FOR BEST PRACTICES OR
STATE TRUSTED CONTRACTORS. THE
OTHER BIG PROBLEM, THE MONEY
HASN’T BEEN GETTING TO SCHOOLS
QUICKLY. I DON’T THINK ANYTHING
HAS EVER FAST ENOUGH WHEN WE
TALK ABOUT THE SAFETY AND WELL
BEING OF THE KIDS THAT WE SERVE
THE TEACHERS THAT WE SERVE. THE
FAMILIES THAT WE SERVE. OUR J.
WEBER IS THE SUPERINTENDENT AT
NORTHVILLE SCHOOLS, HE SAYS THE
NEXT STEP IN FUNDING FOR SAFETY
SHOULD BE ON REAL MENTAL HEALTH
SAFETY, NOT JUST HARDENING
SCHOOLS. THE EMPHASIS ON HOW DO
WE PREVENT, UH, STUDENT OR A
PERSON FROM DOING THE
UNTHINKABLE? VERY RARELY. DO WE
HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE
COLLATERAL DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN
CAUSED BY YEARS OF GUN VIOLENCE?
RARELY DO WE REALLY EXPLICITLY
NAME THAT WE HAVE ELEMENTARY
CHILDREN WHO WAKE UP IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND ASK
THEIR PARENTS WHILE IS THE
POLICE STATION? CLOSE ENOUGH OF
SOMETHING HAPPENS THERE HAS BEEN
MONEY SET ASIDE FOR SPECIFICALLY
MENTAL HEALTH, MORE COUNSELORS,
ACCESS TO HELP AND EVEN NEW
CHILD AND ADOLESCENT CARE
CENTERS TO BE PUT IN 100
SCHOOLS. BUT IT MAY NOT EVEN BE
ENOUGH. A SCHOOL SAFETY TASK
FORCE IN LANSING MADE OF
LAWMAKERS THINKS THE SCHOOLS
COULD NEED ANOTHER NEARLY $200
MILLION IN STATE FUNDS TO BETTER
PROTECT KIDS. WE ARE TAKING THIS
VERY SERIOUSLY AND THINGS ARE
HAPPENING. RAPIDLY AND I
UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION WITH
COMMISSIONS LIKE OH, GREAT.
ANOTHER COMMISSION
REPRESENTATIVE KELLY BREEN HAS
BEEN WORKING ON THAT TASK FORCE
SINCE IT STARTED LAST JANUARY,
AND THE BIPARTISAN GROUP HAS
FOUND COMMON GROUND. WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT IF WE DO ANYTHING
THAT IS A MANDATE. FIRST OF ALL
THAT IT’S FUNDED, BUT ALSO GIVE
A GREAT DEAL OF DEFERENCE TO
LOCAL CONTROL. EVERY DISTRICT IS
DIFFERENT, BUT WITH CHANGES IN
POLITICAL CONTROL COMING THAT
BIPARTISAN WORK COULD BE IN
DANGER AS AGENDAS CHANGE, EVEN
THOUGH SCHOOLS ARE RELYING ON
DESPERATELY NEEDED HELP IS ONE
THING TO SAY. KIDS ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT TO US AND THEIR FUTURE
AND TEACHERS ARE WONDERFUL AND
THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD.
IT’S ANOTHER THING TO SAY THAT
MEAN IT BY THE ACTIONS AS A
SOCIETY WE ENGAGE IN TO SUPPORT
THEM. AND THAT WAS GRANT HERMES
REPORTING, AND THIS ALL COMES AS
A BRAND NEW SAFETY TASK FORCE
UNDER THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION HAS JUST RECENTLY HAD
THEIR FIRST MEETING. THIS GROUP
FOCUSED HEAVILY ON MENTAL HEALTH