Farmington Public Schools still has roughly 185 elementary staff members who need to complete phonics-focused literacy training, and a new state law signed July 22 now makes that training mandatory.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bill 5697 at an event in Southfield, requiring all Michigan K-5 reading and language arts teachers to complete "science of reading" training by the 2031-32 school year. For Farmington, the district estimates the cost to train its remaining staff at approximately $817,700 in substitute teacher expenses alone.
What the law requires
The new law directs the Michigan Department of Education to select at least two training vendors each year. LETRS, a 160-hour program offered by vendor Lexia, has been publicly named by supporters of the law including House Speaker Matt Hall. The training takes about two years to complete.
The mandate is contingent on the Legislature providing "sufficient" funding. The new state education budget includes $75 million specifically for LETRS training, on top of $44 million the state had already allocated.
"The budget guarantees that not some, not most, but all reading teachers in Michigan complete training to teach students the science of reading methods like phonics," Whitmer said at the Southfield signing event.
The law follows years of low reading scores statewide. Only 38.9% of Michigan's third graders are proficient in reading on M-STEP tests, and the state ranks 44th nationally for fourth-grade reading. In Oakland County, just 47.3% of third graders scored proficient or advanced in English language arts in 2024-25.
Farmington's numbers reflect the challenge. At a January 2025 joint meeting of the school board and city councils, resident Bill Lubaway said the district's overall literacy proficiency rate was approximately 58%, placing it 68th out of 580 Michigan districts. That figure may encompass multiple grade levels and assessments. Lubaway noted that African American and low-income students in Farmington lag significantly behind their peers.
Where Farmington stands
Farmington Public Schools had already begun the transition before the mandate. Margaret Hendrickson, the district's director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment, told the Oakland Press in March that about 40 staff members had completed LETRS training through 10 cohorts, with sessions completed outside the school day. The district pays a $750 honorarium to each staff member who finishes.
But 185 staff members still need the training, Hendrickson said in March. Each requires roughly 26 substitute-release days over two years.
"Transitioning a whole district to the science of reading isn't like flipping a light switch; it's much more complex than that," Hendrickson told the Oakland Press in March. "It requires real intentionality and, honestly, a lot of sustained support."
State Rep. Nancy DeBoer, R-Holland, who sponsored HB 5697, said in a statement on July 22 that the law would open opportunities for Michigan students. Whitmer also signed House Bill 5646 the same day, requiring the state superintendent to approve teacher preparation programs and grant certificates only when certain literacy requirements are met.
As of July 1, 5,684 Michigan educators were enrolled in LETRS training and 7,460 had completed it, according to the Michigan Department of Education. Teachers with an interim teaching certificate are exempt from the new requirement.
The district has not publicly responded to the July 22 signing. Farmington Public Schools students return Monday, August 24, for the 2026-27 school year.
