BY MATT MACKINDER
Clarkston News Staff Writer

A state decision is pending on making up snow days, but Clarkston Community Schools is moving forward with plans to deal with three of them.
“Clarkston requested and was granted the additional three days of forgiven time. However, even with the additional three days that were granted, we are still short days and minutes to meet the minimum hour and day requirements,” school administration said in an email to the community.
Andersonville, Bailey Lake, and North Sashabaw elementaries, Sashabaw Middle, Clarkston High and Renaissance High schools need to make up three school days. To do so, previously scheduled half-days May 10, June 6, and June 7 would be made full days of school, with additional half days added on June 10, June 11, and June 12.
Clarkston, Independence, Pine Knob, and Springfield Plains elementaries, and Clarkston Junior High schools need to make up two school days. Changes there include making half-days May 10, June 6, and June 7 full days, and adding half days on June 10 and June 11.
Legislators in Lansing are reviewing bills that could relieve all or some of the days, administrators said.
“We are hopeful that legislation will be passed that will prevent us from having to make up days but feel we need to move forward with planning in the event there are no changes,” according to the email.
The state allows up to six school day cancelations, and districts can request three additional days.
School days that were canceled during Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s state of emergency might not have to make up those days, if recent legislation passes. House Bill 4206 would make an exception to the state rules for snow days called during states of emergency.
On March 12, the House Education Committee voted to pass an amended version of House Bill 4206 that also included a section for the amount of funding school districts receive if they held class on a day with inclement weather. State law currently mandates attendance to be 75 percent or higher to get full state funding for that day, while House Bill 4206 would lower that to 60 percent on days with “documented conditions not under the control of school authorities.”
“With not all of our buildings being closed on the same days, some will be required to make up two days of school and some of our buildings will be required to make up three days of school.”