Michigan 2025-2026 Regular Session

Michigan Senate Bill SB0887

Introduced
3/25/26  

Caption

Education: discipline; school disciplinary proceedings; modify. Amends 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1 - 380.1852) by adding sec. 1310g. TIE BAR WITH: SB 0886'26, SB 0888'26

Impact

This legislation intends to reform the current discipline process within public schools, promoting a more consistent and equitable system. By instituting independent decision makers, SB0887 aspires to safeguard students' rights by preventing conflicts of interest that arise when school personnel are responsible for disciplinary actions. This reform could significantly affect students facing serious disciplinary actions, potentially reshaping the protocols schools follow when determining consequences and improving the prospects for students who may otherwise be wrongly penalized.

Summary

Senate Bill 0887 proposes significant amendments to the Michigan Revised School Code, specifically focusing on the procedures surrounding student discipline. The bill mandates that each school district or public school academy appoint independent decision makers to oversee hearings regarding suspensions over ten days, expulsions, or alternative placements. This initiative aims to enhance the fairness and impartiality of such hearings by removing them from the direct control of school officials involved in the disciplinary incidents. The bill ensures that the independent decision makers apply a 'preponderance of the evidence' standard during proceedings, which aims to provide a more rigorous evaluation of the circumstances surrounding disciplinary actions.

Contention

While the bill has garnered support from various stakeholders advocating for student rights and fair treatment, it has also faced criticism regarding its implementation and practical effects. Opponents argue that the introduction of independent decision makers may create delays in the disciplinary process, complicate already existing systems, or lead to inconsistency in how disciplinary measures are applied across schools. Moreover, there may be concerns about the qualifications and training of these independent decision makers, as well as the administrative burden placed on school districts to adapt to these new procedural requirements.

Companion Bills

MI SB0886

Same As Education: discipline; school disciplinary proceedings; modify. Amends secs. 1310, 1310a, 1311 & 1311a of 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1310 et seq.) & adds sec. 1310f. TIE BAR WITH: SB 0887'26, SB 0888'26

MI SB0888

Same As Education: discipline; school disciplinary proceedings; modify. Amends sec. 1310d of 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1310d). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0886'26, SB 0887'26

Previously Filed As

MI SB0888

Education: discipline; school disciplinary proceedings; modify. Amends sec. 1310d of 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1310d). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0886'26, SB 0887'26

MI SB0886

Education: discipline; school disciplinary proceedings; modify. Amends secs. 1310, 1310a, 1311 & 1311a of 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1310 et seq.) & adds sec. 1310f. TIE BAR WITH: SB 0887'26, SB 0888'26

MI SB0784

Education: meals; free school lunch and breakfast program; create. Amends 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1 - 380.1852) by adding sec. 1271. TIE BAR WITH: SB 0785'26

MI SB151

Higher Education - Disciplinary Records - Use in Admissions and Disciplinary Proceedings

MI HB4877

School aid: supplemental; funding for at-risk pupils; provide for. Amends 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1 - 380.1852) by adding sec. 1310g.

MI SB0379

Education: teachers and administrators; performance evaluation systems for public school teachers and school administrators; modify. Amends secs. 1248, 1249, 1249a, 1249b & 1280f of 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1248 et seq.) & adds secs. 1250a, 1531l & 1531m. TIE BAR WITH: SB 380'25

MI SB0785

Education: meals; free school lunch and breakfast program; modify. Amends sec. 30d of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1630d). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0784'26

MI SB0903

School aid: other; requirements for districts to receive weighted funding; provide for. Amends 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1 - 380.1852) by adding sec. 1280h. TIE BAR WITH: SB 0860'26

MI HB4158

Education: examinations; references to M-STEP to include a state-administered assessment system under section 104d of the state school aid act of 1979; modify. Amends secs. 502, 503, 522, 552 & 1279g of 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.502 et seq.). TIE BAR WITH: HB 4157'25

MI SB0076

Education: school districts; mobile panic alert system in schools; require. Amends 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1 - 380.1852) by adding sec. 1308c. TIE BAR WITH: SB 77'25

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