Talent & Education

Michigan’s traditional public schools continue to report declining enrollment as parents choose charter and private schools. Public school enrollment fell by 7,400 in fall of 2023 though it rose in the state’s publicly funded charter schools.

The state four-year high school graduation rate for 2023 is up slightly from 2022. See how your school district did.

Some Michigan student loan borrowers got good news from Biden this week: their student loans are being forgiven as part of a new income-based loan repayment program.

For the first time in years, the number of recent high school graduates in Michigan has increased. Statewide, 38.2% of last year’s graduates enrolled in four-year colleges, while more than half are in some higher education.

The increase is slight, but it moves the needle following a heavy investment in affordability. At the same time, enrollment at two-year colleges decreased.

Many Michigan colleges and universities offer guarantees that assure students won’t have to pay any out-of-pocket tuition costs.

The federal government isn’t sending student financial data to schools until mid-March. That adds a time crunch to schools and students. Some schools are easing deadlines.

Michigan is one of 11 states that doesn’t require parents to notify school or state officials when they homeschool children. Suggestions to count students has prompted an outcry from homeschoolers.

We asked. You answered. Bridge Michigan readers weigh in on proposal to count homeschoolers.

Most, but not all, classroom doors now can be locked from the inside, but work on a centralized video system and other upgrades are still years away after a mass shooting revealed security gaps on campus.

CMU President Bob Davies negotiated a contract shortly before announcing his retirement that pays him through at least 2026, including at least $500,000 in deferred compensation.

Homeschool families in Michigan say they’re worried about a proposed requirement to register all school-aged children with their local school district or public agency. However, advocates say most homeschool families want the current system to remain with no mandatory registration.

Michigan public school enrollment has declined by 16% since 2003. The expiration of COVID relief dollars could force difficult decisions for district leaders.

Michigan Senate Republicans signaled they want to reverse some of the key changes to education policy Democrats made last year.

Professor Marco Díaz-Muñoz says concern for his students, support from MSU is helping him overcome trauma after a gunman burst into his class last year and began a shooting spree that killed three.

The Mount Pleasant campus will soon search for a new president. Several Michigan public universities have had leadership changes in recent years.

The federal government says it won’t send student financial information to colleges until March, more than a month later than expected. This means students will have to wait longer for financial aid offers.

Districts are offering loan repayment programs, paid student teaching and cash to lure teachers to districts. ‘Money talks,’ one educator says.

For teachers and students, talking about the deadly conflict can be emotional and fraught. Teachers say they aim to provide facts and give students space to express their feelings. But they are under a microscope.

Costs unknown as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer widens push for free community college to all high school graduates.