Northern Michigan school districts have far exceeded the state’s allowed number of weather-related closure days due to an unusually severe winter followed by spring flooding, prompting legislative efforts to provide relief. Under current Michigan law, schools must provide 180 days or 1,098 hours of instruction, with six forgiven days and the possibility of three additional waived days upon request; beyond that, districts must extend the school year.
Many districts are well past this limit, including Cheboygan Area Schools with 17 canceled days, as well as Gaylord, Charlevoix, and Petoskey, all of which have also surpassed allowable closures.
In response, Parker Fairbairn has proposed adding four additional forgiven days tied to March storms, while Dave Prestin has introduced House Bill 5800, which would allow up to 15 total forgiven days for districts in eligible areas.
This House Bill would include Cheboygan County. Lawmakers argue that the region has endured prolonged extreme weather conditions, including heavy snowfall, extreme cold, and flooding, and that extending the school year would negatively impact summer programming, construction projects, and family schedules.
Stay tuned...