SB285 mandates kindergarten attendance for five-year-old Michigan children starting in the 2025-2026 school year, with districts and public-school academies required to offer kindergarten.
The Michigan State Senate passed SB285 on April 16, 2024 by a vote of 21 to 15. We have assigned pluses to the nays because education is not the role of government. A child’s education is the responsibility of—and a fundamental right of choice retained by—his or her parents. Forcing the citizens of Michigan to furnish taxpayer money to expand a compulsory, failing, and government-run K-12 school system violates their individual liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.