Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Education have created programs that offer free community college and scholarships of up to $5,500 annually to eligible students, somewhat blunt a declining enrollments nationwide.

National politics have recently influenced the passage rates for bond proposals in Michigan, say the experts. Voters defeat school bonds at higher rates statewide, but more so in Republican-leaning areas.

Where Harris, Democrats stand: Although education has not been a key talking point in her campaign rallies, Vice President Kamala Harris he said in statements that it is “fully committed” to expanding student loan forgiveness opportunities.

Harris emphasized the importance of providing funding for K-12 schools to increase staff salaries, recruit more teachers and establish universal preschool, though he did not outline specific policy proposals.

Democrats have also fought state legislative efforts to limit or remove culture war topics from curricula and libraries. Harris called supporters of Florida’s updated education standards, who argue “slaves developed skills” which could benefit him personally, the “extremists”.

The Biden-Harris administration expanded protections for LGBTQ students under Title IX, creating rules that prohibit K-12 schools from discriminating against students based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Harris supports some gun control reforms, which she said could help deter violence in schools, and in a July speech to a Houston teachers union she decried GOP efforts to restrict the programs.

“We who believe in the freedom to live free from gun violence will pass the assault weapons ban,” she said. “We, who believe that every American should be free from bigotry and hatred, will fight to protect our teachers and students from discrimination and ensure that every student can learn America’s history.”

Where Trump, Republicans stand: Trump has consistently said he wants to closed the US Department of Education to empower states, but did not say whether it would continue federal funding through other channels or shift responsibilities to other departments.

The plan could disrupts about 11% of Michigan’s federal public school funding and removing district obligations to comply with related rules, but few Republicans have shown legislative support for it in the past. When the party ran a trifecta during the Trump administration, its proposal to combine the education and labor departments never made it to the House floor.

The former president’s goal is part of his broader campaign to stop what he and other Republicans have called “student indoctrination.” Trump and his allies have repeatedly encouraged schools to ban critical race theory, a term used by some conservatives to refer to classroom discussions of systemic racism.