Legislators and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have reached a bipartisan agreement on a new plan that provides flexibility on when students return to in-person classes and clarity on how schools are funded during a pandemic, according to an announcement from the governor's office late Friday.
The plan includes more than $580 million to help schools offer virtual learning, increase safety when students do return to classes and provides hazard pay to teachers, according to a summary of the plan obtained by the Detroit Free Press.
There is no mandate for in-person classes for any students, although students in kindergarten through fifth grade are encouraged to physically attend school where possible. And all parties agreed they did not want to financially harm schools regardless of the teaching model they choose.
"Today, we reached a bipartisan deal that will give students, parents, educators, and support staff much needed support, flexibility, and certainty as we approach the new school year. They deserve peace of mind about what the next few months will hold in store, and this legislation will provide it," said a statement issued by Whitmer, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint; House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, and House Minority Leader Christine Greig, D-Farmington Hills.
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The compromise comes after Whitmer and House Republicans clashed over GOP legislation that included mandates for in-person classes for younger students, and as administrators, teachers, parents and students are all weighing how they can safely return to school as the coronavirus continues to infect hundreds daily in Michigan.
This Saturday is the deadline for schools to submit their return plans to their county-level intermediate school districts, which will forward them to the Michigan Department of Treasury.
While initially some suggested the compromise plan could require face masks or establish certain thresholds before schools could host in-person courses, the final compromise does not include any mandates. Instead, it suggests what districts can do while allowing each district to craft the plan deemed most appropriate for the city, county or region.
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The plan does create parameters that require schools and teachers to regularly engage with students, according to a summary of the plan. If these parameters are not met, a school will lose out on state funding.
Whenever a school does return to in-person courses, teachers need to administer assessments that help everyone know how far along — or behind — these students are in their academic progress for the year.
Earlier on Friday, Whitmer and state chief medical executive Joneigh Khaldun encouraged school administrators to require all students and staff wear masks. But the governor said she did not anticipate issuing any new mask mandate.
"We strongly encourage masks for everyone. I hope that parents and students and teachers and administrators alike are hearing this," Whitmer said.
"We know that mask wearing is a cultural change that we have to make, and it's not easy to make it quickly. But the cost of this pandemic is necessitating that we do."
At a virtual news conference, the governor said her daughter attends a school that will provide virtual learning through the end of September. Khaldun said she has three school-age children — including a soon-to-be second grader — all of whom will wear masks if they go back to school in person. She encouraged every superintendent to mandate masks for all students, even while in a classroom.
The compromise proposal is slated for a vote Saturday during a rare weekend session of the Senate, follow by approval on Monday in the House. That puts the plan on pace to hit the governor’s desk next week.
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Initially in June, Whitmer unveiled a 63-page road map that included recommendations for schools to address this upcoming year. The recommendations corresponded with the governor’s plan to reopen parts of the economy in phases, depending on the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in certain regions of the state. If certain regions were suffering particularly egregiously, they would not be allowed to have in-person classes.
However, in July the House passed the Republican-backed “Return to Learn” plan that contradicted several of the governor’s recommendations. While the plan offered additional financial support for schools to successfully offer virtual classes, it also required in-person courses for all students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
The Senate takes up the compromise plan at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Contact Dave Boucher: dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.
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