Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation Friday that says Michigan schools don't have to make up as many as four snow daysthat occurred during a deep freeze in January and February.
State law forgives districts from making up six days that have been canceled for emergencies, and schools can get a waiver from the state superintendent for three additional days.
Many districts have already reached or exceeded nine snow days.
The new law will let schools not count the Jan. 29-Feb. 1 period toward a cap on snow days.
“When weather is extreme and dangerous, we have to be mindful and take action and be nimble,” says Whitmer. “And that is what this is all about, giving districts the ability to do that.”
Whitmer says the new law gives certainty to families and school districts that need to prepare for the end of the school year.
The governor signed the bill into law at an educators’ conference in Novi.
