Holland Reporter

The Return to Learn plan, which aims to have Michigan students safely return to learning in the classroom this fall following the coronavirus pandemic, has been referred to the House and Senate Education Committees for further consideration.

“We absolutely must get our kids back to school in the fall, and we must do it safely,” Rep. Bradley Slagh (R-Zeeland) told the Michigan House Republicans.

Slagh joined fellow House of Representative and Senate colleagues to announce the plan on June 23 at a Capitol press conference.

“If we’ve learned anything from this health crisis, it’s that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t what’s right for Michigan, and that continues to be the case as we address safety measures for our students,” Slagh said, according to Michigan House Republicans.

The reopening plan would require local school districts and health departments to work with one another to create health and safety standards for both classrooms and extracurricular activities in a way that would best work for their own specific areas.

“Allowing local school districts, in partnership with their local health departments, rather than big government, to determine what is best for their area schools is what’s best for West Michigan students,” Slagh told Michigan House Republicans.

A portion of the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund, which the state has received, will go toward the Return to Learn plan.

The aid will provide an $800-per-pupil payment to K-12 schools to put classroom health and safety measures into place, as well as $80 million to intermediate school districts to help schools in implementing those additional measures.