LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Northern Michigan schools impacted by this spring’s severe ice storms will not have to extend the academic year, thanks to a new law signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer this week.
House Bill 4345, sponsored by Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan), allows school districts located in counties under a state of emergency to waive up to 15 missed instructional days for the 2024–2025 school year. The change helps districts avoid financial penalties from the state and prevents disruption to summer programming and staff schedules.
“We’re coastal communities,” Cavitt said. “A lot of those students and teachers and school bus drivers and janitors all have second jobs in the summer. That’s just part of the economy of northern Michigan.”
The legislation received broad bipartisan support in both chambers. Without the waiver, districts would have risked losing state aid or been forced to add additional days to the school year, delaying summer maintenance and planned programs.
“This doesn’t keep kids out of the classroom,” Cavitt added. “It just takes the state equation out of it and leaves the decision to local school boards.”
While the bill offers relief to school districts, many Northern Michigan communities are still seeking federal assistance to cover ongoing cleanup costs. The state has requested both a presidential emergency declaration and a major disaster declaration from FEMA to help backfill local budgets strained by debris removal and storm response.
“Volunteer fire departments have already exhausted their budgets,” Cavitt said. “We’re hoping to leverage $100 million in state appropriations to bring in federal support. This bill is just one step—there’s still a lot of work ahead.”
Cavitt said this is just another step toward cleaning up the mess, and he plans to continue pushing fore more resources for the people of northern Michigan.
