COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Severe winter weather across Southwest Michigan
has forced area school districts to reach or exceed their legal limit for “forgiven” snow days.
Under current state law, Michigan K-12 schools are required to provide at least 180 days and 1,098 hours of instruction per academic year. Districts are automatically granted six “forgiven” days for emergencies out of their control, such as snowstorms, extreme cold, or power outages.
However, many districts have already or are close to exhausting these six days as of as of today, leading to concerns about instructional hour requirements for the remainder of the 2025–2026 school year.
When a district surpasses the initial six-day allotment, it must apply for a waiver from the Michigan Department of Education to receive up to three additional forgiven days.
These extra days are granted at the discretion of the state superintendent for “unusual and extenuating circumstances”. If a district exceeds nine total canceled days, or if a waiver is not granted the lost time must be made up to receive full state funding.
Common solutions for districts that run out of days include extending the school year into June, adding minutes to existing school days, or repurposing scheduled spring break time.
While schools previously had the option to use up to 15 virtual learning days in place of in-person instruction, the current state budget has repealed that option, requiring districts to focus on physical makeup dates.
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