Novi Times

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer canceled school for the remainder of the school year due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, Bridge Michigan reported. Schools will continue to utilize remote learning, but students will not return to physical classrooms for the rest of the 2019-20 school year.

Whitmer signed the executive order on April 2, allowing most students to be promoted or graduating, just as they normally would, according to the news agency.

Whitmer said in a statement that her priority was keeping Michigan families protected from the novel coronavirus.

"For the sake of our students, their families and the more than 100,000 teachers and staff in our state, I have made the difficult decision to close our school facilities for the remainder of the school year," Whitmer said in a statement, according to Bridge Michigan.

Whitmer said that she knew canceling school would create challenges, but that she would make sure remote learning continued and parents would be given resources to help.

School was initially closed only until April 5, then Whitmer extended that until April 13, until finally canceling the rest of the school year.

State Rep. Ryan Berman (R-Commerce Township) said in a press release that he fully supported online learning.

"Although the Michigan Department of Education had originally asserted this instruction cannot count for public schools, I will be working in the Legislature on adjusting state law to allow days out of school for this public health emergency to be counted as instructional days," Berman said to Michigan House Republicans. "We review laws all the time as legislators and make changes when it's best for the people of Michigan, and I certainly think it would be possible to do that here."

Berman said the school appropriations plan that recently passed in the House almost included language that would allow for school days missed to be waived, but the legislature felt it was too early to add that language in.

"It is an unfolding process, and we are working at the same time to ensure the health and safety of people in Oakland County, throughout southeast Michigan and across the state," Berman told Michigan House Republicans.