The bill amends the Revised School Code by adding Section 1153a, which mandates that starting in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, the Michigan legislature must appropriate annual funds to school districts specifically to support English language learners. To qualify for this funding, school districts are required to administer the WIDA ACCESS or WIDA Alternate ACCESS assessments to their English language learners.

The bill outlines a funding distribution model based on the number of full-time equivalent English language learners and their assessment scores. Specifically, it allocates 75% of the target foundation allowance for learners scoring between 1.0 and 1.9, 50% for those scoring between 2.0 and 2.9, and 35% for learners scoring between 3.0 and 3.9 on the WIDA assessments. This structured funding approach aims to provide targeted financial support to districts based on the proficiency levels of their English language learners.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 380.1, 380.1852