WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
State Rep. Aaron Miller, chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid, has joined house and senate colleagues in unveiling a plan to ensure the safety of Michigan students as learning resumes in the fall.
The House-Senate plan requires local school districts and health departments to work together to develop health and safety standards that are best for their unique area.
Under the plan, school districts could start whenever is best for them without obtaining a waiver to bypass Michigan’s Labor Day start requirement.
The “Return to Learn” plan also provides an $800 per pupil payment to K-12 schools to implement a robust, distance-learning plan, and health and safety measures to return students to the classroom.
It also includes a $500-per-teacher payment as hazard and overtime pay, and to help cover costs incurred due to transitioning to distance-learning teaching plans.
Miller said the proposal would also deliver $80 million to intermediate school districts to assist schools in coordinating and implementing distance-learning plans and safety measures.
It also limits the use of snow days to encourage the use of remote instruction when in-person instruction is not an option.
The plan will be referred to the House and Senate Education Committees for consideration.
