Cheboygan schools could face extended year if ice storm legislation doesn't pass
Cheboygan Area Schools faced repeated school closures this winter. In addition to the typical snow days, East Elementary School closed for multiple days in February after an unidentified odor led to headaches and other symptoms for teachers and students at the school.
After an ice storm swept the region in late March, the district saw another extended closure, with all schools shuttered from March 31-April 9. Classes resumed in the district on Thursday, April 10.
More: Parents air concerns about carbon dioxide levels at Cheboygan's East Elementary School
More: 'A generational storm': Northern Michigan ice storm was worst in over 100 years
In total, the district used nine snow days, and then used an additional eight days following the ice storm. East Elementary School added three additional closures of its own.
State Sen. John Damoose and State Rep. Cam Cavitt both filed separate bills designed to address the issue of school closures related to the ice storm with slight variations. Both aimed to offer forgiveness for days out of school while Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's State of Emergency was in effect. Cavitt's House Bill 4345 has been moving forward and is expected to be voted on by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, May 6, Byrd told the Daily Tribune.
In Michigan, schools are expected to have 180 days of student instruction. Up to six days can be forgiven for any reason, whether it be power outages, inclement weather or illness. After those six days, schools can request three additional days off, which must be approved by the state superintendent.
Even before the ice storm, Cheboygan Area Schools had used up their nine days. Due to the closures at East Elementary School, two more days will need to be made up, Byrd said. One of those days has already been made up, and the other day will need to be added to the end of the calendar. It will be a professional development day for staff that students will not need to attend.
According to MCL — 388.1701, a day of professional development can count toward pupil instruction, up to 38 hours total. For a professional development day to count as a day of pupil instruction, at least five hours of instructional work must be given to the staff.
More: Northern Michigan schools hope state forgives days taken off for ice storm
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That still leaves the question of the days the district was closed due to the ice storm.
Damoose met with local superintendents on Monday, May 5 to discuss House Bill 4345, Byrd told the Daily Tribune in an email. Byrd added that it looks like there is a lot of support for the bill.
If approved, individual school boards will need to vote on whether they would like to have the additional days off waived, or if they'd prefer to extend the school year for more instruction.
The last day of school for Cheboygan is currently scheduled for June 6.
— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @KarlyGrahamJrn.
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Cheboygan schools could face extended school year if ice storm legislation doesn't pass
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