Michele Hoitenga

MICHIGAN — State Senator Michele Hoitenga, R-Manton, on Wednesday voted for legislation aimed to provide more scheduling flexibility for Northern Michigan and Upper Peninsula schools affected by snowstorms and flooding earlier this year, according to a press release on Thursday.

“This is about listening to concerned parents and giving our local schools the flexibility to deal with the unprecedented snowstorms in March and historic flooding in April in the way that works best for them and their students,” Hoitenga said in the release. “By allowing schools that were closed during these natural emergencies to have additional school days waived instead of changing the end of the year schedule, we can give schools and families certainty about the rest of the school year.”

Hoitenga said in the release House Bill 5797 would allow school districts in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula to count up to four additional days without student instruction from March 12 to 17 because of winter storms. Some schools in the region could also count up to five additional days if they are located in a county covered by one of two executive orders in which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency due to severe flooding.

The bill now heads to the governor to be signed into law.