Key facets of Whitmer's budget proposal

Key facets of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's budget proposal for the 2020-21 fiscal year starting in October:

K-12 EDUCATION

— A $225 per-student increase for lower-funded districts and charter schools, to $8,336. and a $150 increase for higher-funded districts, to $8,679. The gap between the highest- and lowest-funded districts would be $343.

— A $60 million increase for special education students, from $6,702 to $8,239; a $60 million increase forat-risk students, from $744 to $829; and a $5 million increase for English language learners, from $135 to $185.

PRESCHOOL

— A $42 million initiative to make preschool available to 5,000 more children in 26 high-poverty, high-academic need districts.

— A $35.5 million increase in aid to the Great Start Readiness Program, which funds preschool for 38,000 4-year-olds statewide.

TEACHER SUPPORT

— Up to $250 in reimbursement per teacher for classroom supplies that they purchase.

— An additional $1.5 million to support program that enable districts to develop and hire teachers from their own student population.

SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE

— $40 million in grants for facility upgrades such as air and water filter replacement, led and asbestos abatement, heating and cooling modifications, and building upgrades.

HIGHER EDUCATION

— An overall 2.5% funding boost for universities and community colleges.

— $35 million to provide a tuition-free associate's degree or industry certificate to adults age 25 and older.

— $10 million to help people refinance their students loans.

HEALTHY MOMS, HEALTH BABIES

— Longer access to postpartum care for Medicaid enrollees, from 60 days to full year with the first visit within three weeks and a comprehensive visit within 12 weeks.

— Access to in-home nursing and counseling services for 1,000 additional families.

— Expanded access to reproductive health care and family planning services for low-income women.

CHILD CARE

— Increased eligibility for state child care assistance, by raising income eligibility to 150% of the federal poverty level. It would provide child care for 5,900 additional children.

PARENTAL LEAVE

— Pending approval of the Michigan Civil Service Commission, the state will provide up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave to 46,000 employees for the qualifying birth or adoption of a child.

LEAD POISONING

— $10 million to establish a lead poisoning prevention fund. The fund would help homeowners and landlords to secure access to low-interest loans to remediate lead in their properties.

OPIOID CRISIS

— $10 million to expand the state's response to the deadly painkiller epidemic.

RURAL HOSPITALS

— Doubling the number of physicians in a medical residency program to work in rural and medically underserved areas in exchange for loan forgiveness.

ENVIRONMENT

— $20 million for “rapid response” to environmental contamination.

— $40 million to give “local climate resilient infrastructure” grants to communities facing negative impacts from climate change conditions such as high water levels.

— $10 million for farmers to implement conservative practices to help mitigate toxic algal blooms in the Great Lakes and impaired watersheds.

— $2.5 million to build a visitors center at Arch Rock on Mackinac Island in honor of the late Gov. William Milliken.

TOURISM

— $15 million for the Pure Michigan tourism program, which has no funding in the current fiscal year after receiving $36 million in the last budget year. Whitmer invited the tourism industry to contribute additional funding to the campaign.

Source: State budget office