Michigan House Passes Snow Day Flexibility Bill

The Michigan House voted to let some schools count up to four extra snow‑day closures as instructional time.

The measure covers more than half of the state’s counties and now moves to the Senate.

Under current state law, Michigan public schools must provide at least 1,098 hours of instruction over 180 days each year. Snow days or other emergency closures normally count as non‑instructional time, requiring districts to add makeup days later. The new bill would change the School Aid Act of 1979 to allow certain districts to treat up to four additional closure days as school days when they result from severe weather or a governor’s emergency declaration.

The legislation passed the House with a bipartisan majority, marking the first step toward enacting the change.

Eligible districts may designate up to four extra emergency closure days as instructional days if the closures stem from severe weather or a governor‑declared emergency.

More than 50% of Michigan’s counties fall under the bill’s coverage, while areas such as Ingham, Clinton, Eaton, Jackson, Hillsdale and Ionia are excluded.

For districts that qualify, the bill offers a way to avoid extending the school year into summer when winter weather forces multiple closures.

Students would retain the required instructional hours without losing vacation time, and districts could reduce overtime costs for staff.

Critics may argue that counting closure days as instruction could affect educational continuity, though the bill limits the flexibility to four days per year.

The legislation now heads to the Senate; if approved, it would go to the governor for signature before taking effect.

Watch for Senate debate and any potential amendments that could alter the list of eligible counties or the number of allowable days.