Gov. Ruth Ann Minner (D) • Jan. 17
Gov. Minner announced that she wants to expand two of the major initiatives of the first seven years of the governorship. In her forthcoming budget, she will propose expanding her full-day-kindergarten initiative to 11 districts and nine charter schools. In higher education, she said her budget will include new scholarships to help graduates from a community-college-scholarship program complete their bachelor’s degrees. She also said she would implement school cost savings that were recommended by a panel of state officials. The savings would be redirected to early-childhood efforts and classroom-based initiatives.