January 15, 2015, Introduced by Rep. Kelly and referred to the Committee on Education.
A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the state
constitution of 1963, by amending section 2 of article VIII, to
allow limited financial support for children with special needs to
attend any school of their choice, including nonpublic schools.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
state of Michigan, That the following amendment to the state
constitution of 1963, to allow limited financial support for
children with special needs to attend any school of their choice,
including nonpublic schools, is proposed, agreed to, and submitted
to the people of the state:
ARTICLE VIII
Sec. 2. The legislature shall maintain and support a system of
free public elementary and secondary schools as defined by law.
Every school district shall provide for the education of its pupils
without discrimination as to religion, creed, race, color or
national origin.
No
Except as provided in this
paragraph, no public monies or
property shall be appropriated or paid or any public credit
utilized, by the legislature or any other political subdivision or
agency of the state directly or indirectly to aid or maintain any
private, denominational or other nonpublic, pre-elementary,
elementary,
or secondary school. No Except
as provided in this
paragraph, no payment, credit, tax benefit, exemption or
deductions, tuition voucher, subsidy, grant or loan of public
monies or property shall be provided, directly or indirectly, to
support the attendance of any student or the employment of any
person
at any such nonpublic school. or at any location or
institution
where instruction is offered in whole or in part to
such
nonpublic school students. The
legislature may provide for the
transportation of students to and from any school. The legislature
shall provide financial support for children with special needs to
attend the school of their choice, including a nonpublic school, if
the amount of that financial support for a child does not exceed
the amount of additional financial support that would be provided
to a public school on the child's behalf due to his or her special
needs if the child were enrolled in a public school.
Resolved further, That the foregoing amendment shall be
submitted to the people of the state at the next general election
in the manner provided by law.