LANSING, Mich. — Sen. John Damoose on Wednesday voted in favor of a legislative effort to provide more scheduling flexibility for Northern Michigan and Upper Peninsula schools affected by the recent ice storm that caused significant damage and left thousands without power across numerous counties.
“There are so many things to address in the wake of this historic ice storm,” said Damoose, R-Harbor Springs. “Parents and school officials throughout our region have shared their concerns and uncertainty over what the storm will mean for the remainder of this school year.
“Schools need to know this information; parents need to know this information; employers need to know this information. This action gives them the assurance they need to move forward with summer plans and employment. I applaud my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for being willing to rise above and move this bipartisan legislation forward. I am thankful for the efforts of Rep. Cam Cavitt for introducing this measure and Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks for making this vote possible.”
House Bill 4345 would exempt a district from meeting the minimum of 1,098 hours and 180 days of pupil instruction for the 2024-25 school year, only if certain conditions have been met — one of which being if the district is located wholly or partially in a county covered by a state of emergency declared by the governor.
The governor issued two executive orders declaring a state of emergency for Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Mackinac, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego and Presque Isle counties.
Damoose said this is a needed fix that would allow schools that were closed during the state of emergency to have additional time waived for the current academic year.
“This was an emergency that was dropped into these districts’ laps through no fault of their own,” Damoose said. “It’s certainly not ideal, but we had to come together and recognize the reality that something certainly needed to be done.
“It is an incredibly timely issue because the end of the school year is rapidly approaching, and I want to thank everyone who was involved in getting a vote to take place and those who supported this legislation. This vote sent a strong message to the affected communities that we are standing with them.”
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