Governor Whitmer weighs in on the Michigan legislature’s Return to Learn plan

ALPENA, Mich.  —  The Michigan legislature has unveiled its plan to return students back to the classroom this fall.  The Return to Learn plan introduced today by the chairs of the House and Senate education committees would invest $1.3 billion in restricted federal Coronavirus Relief Funds to ensure schools can reopen safely with both in-classroom and remote learning options.

The plan would provide schools $800 per student to implement coronavirus-related health measures, such as reducing class sizes, adopting a robust distance learning plan, enhancing sanitation procedures, purchasing personal protective equipment, and making building enhancements to improve safety.

The Return to Learn plan would also redefine “attendance” to mean “engaged in instruction” rather than “physically present” to give students the opportunity to learn remotely, have school districts work with local health departments to establish safety requirements for extracurricular activities and sports in addition to regular school safety measures, and provide $80 million to intermediate school districts to assist schools with distance learning plans and safety measures.

In a one-on-one interview with WBKB, Governor Whitmer said the plan falls short and doesn’t go far enough to protect the safe return of children to Michigan’s K-12 classrooms.

“What we’re working on is a real plan,” said Whitmer. We’ve brought experts to the table to ensure that we’re working through all the implications so that we can do this right.  A one-pager is nice, but a plan to keep our kids safe and all their families as well is really important.”

Governor Whitmer plans to release Michigan’s Return to School Roadmap on June 30.