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Howell Public Schools board approves Section 31aa school safety and mental-health grant, 4-2
Summary
After a lengthy closed-session and public discussion, the Howell Public Schools Board voted 4-2 to direct the superintendent to accept funding under Section 31aa of the State School Aid Act of 2025 amid divided views about the statute’s wording and potential consequences.
The Howell Public Schools Board of Education voted 4-2 on Dec. 29, 2025, to direct Superintendent Dr. MacGregor to accept grant funding made available under Section 31aa of the State School Aid Act of 2025. The motion was moved by Ms. Conn, supported by Ms. Zurek, and passed with board members Bedford, Pasini, Zurek and Conn voting yes; Ms. Marhofer and Mr. Dault voted no.
Board members debated the merits and risks of accepting the funding before the vote. Ms. Conn said the district should approve the funding so the money can be used for needed safety and mental-health services. Mr. Bedford said he supported accepting the funds "even though it is poorly worded legislation," calling the decision difficult but thanking colleagues for a respectful discussion. Ms. Zurek said the board did not take the decision lightly and emphasized the importance of the uses for which the money would be spent.
Opponents raised concerns about potential legal and civil-liberty implications. Ms. Marhofer argued the district should not accept the funding because, in her view, doing so "would open ourselves up to safety and security issues with the state manipulating the district to give up our constitutional rights." Mr. Dault said he supports mental-health and student security but would not take the funding without knowing the consequences, and he criticized what he described as a provision that had been "slipped into the Governor's budget."
Vice-President Ms. Pasini described the decision as one of the hardest of her tenure and said she was relying on district staff and administration to use the funds for safeguards that protect students and the district. The board’s action was taken after the board had met in closed session earlier in the meeting; the closed session was held pursuant to the Open Meetings Act and addressed attorney-client privileged written correspondence (no privileged details were disclosed in public session).
The board did not specify project-level allocations or implementation timelines for the Section 31aa funds during the meeting. The motion directs the superintendent to accept the funding; any subsequent spending plans or safeguards described by staff will be subject to future administrative or board review as required by district policy.
