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Whitmer Proposes $625M literacy Boost as Black Students Face Widening Reading Gaps

February 9, 2026

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has proposed a historic $625 million one-time investment to address Michigan's severe literacy crisis, which has left the state ranking 44th nationally in fourth-grade reading performance. The funding would more than triple current literacy spending and focus on science-based reading instruction, expanding preschool, teacher training, and intervention programs. The initiative's impact will be felt most acutely in predominantly Black communities like Detroit, Flint, and Saginaw, where underfunded schools and systemic inequities have created persistent achievement gaps.

Who is affected

  • Students in Michigan classrooms, particularly those in majority-Black communities including Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Benton Harbor, and Pontiac
  • Black families experiencing under-resourced schools, pandemic learning loss, and uneven access to support services
  • Michigan educators, with more than 5,000 teachers having completed LETRS training so far
  • School districts implementing new literacy and dyslexia requirements
  • Students with dyslexia
  • Children at risk for retention, discipline issues, and special education misidentification

What action is being taken

  • Governor Whitmer is proposing a $625 million one-time literacy funding increase
  • The state is continuing no-cost preschool for 4-year-olds
  • The administration is expanding LETRS training for educators (with over 5,000 already trained)
  • Districts are implementing new literacy and dyslexia requirements passed in 2024
  • The state is expanding summer, before-school, and after-school supports
  • Lawmakers are reviewing the proposal for final approval

Why it matters

  • Michigan's 44th-place national ranking in fourth-grade reading represents more than statistics—it translates directly into poor report cards, increased special education referrals, limited graduation pathways, and reduced job prospects, particularly for Black communities already facing systemic disadvantages. Literacy gaps drive harmful downstream effects including higher retention rates, discipline problems stemming from student frustration and disengagement, and misidentification for special education services that disproportionately impact Black students. The crisis affects children's ability to access every other academic subject, making reading proficiency foundational to educational equity and long-term economic opportunity in communities that have historically been under-resourced.

What's next

  • Lawmakers will make the final decision on the proposed $625 million investment
  • Districts will continue implementing literacy and dyslexia requirements passed in 2024
  • The state faces implementation work acknowledged by Business Leaders for Michigan

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle