Do Michigan school have to add time to make up for snow days? What you should know

When the roads are icy and snow is falling, students have long eagerly waited for the announcement from school, when a superintendent makes the call: A snow day is on.

In recent years, snow day announcements have turned far more elaborate than an email to parents or a robocall. Michigan superintendents and administrators in the past five years have reached for their keyboards and called in choir classes to announce snow days on YouTube. Some videos reached viral fame, including a snow day-themed rendition of "Hallelujah" made by a Swartz Creek superintendent that received 1.4 million views on YouTube.

The Farmer's Almanac forecasts the upcoming winter to be a cold and snowy one. If snowstorms do snarl traffic and create dangerous conditions, schools are better to act decisively to protect students and families from getting on the roads. And though a rendition of "Snowhemian Rhapsody" can be a fun way to announce a snow day, school leaders also know that canceling a day of school is serious, balancing the importance of keeping kids on track academically with keeping them physically safe.

Ben Mainka, the former Swartz Creek superintendent whose 2019 "Hallelujah" parody went viral, is currently the superintendent of Novi Community Schools. He said it's a decision school administrators never take lightly, the decision to eliminate a school day.

"To be frank, it's one of the most stressful times of the year because we're having these conversations many times at 3 or 4 in the morning," he said. "You're not getting a lot of sleep on those days."

Here's how snow days happen in Michigan:

When do Michigan schools call snow days?

It's up to individual districts, charter schools and private schools to make the call to cancel school due to snow.

What constitutes unsafe weather depends on the situation. But, some districts, including Ann Arbor Public Schools, publish guidelines around when school will be closed due to inclement weather. In Ann Arbor's case, if the temperature or wind chill is 20 below zero, schools will be closed. The district's website states that the decision to close should be confirmed no later than 5 a.m., to give enough time to notify families.

Detroit Public Schools Community District will notify parents in the event of a snow day through mass communication, and also often posts updates around snow days on district social media pages.

In Novi, Mainka said officials often talk to experts at the National Weather Service to get an idea of the amount of snow expected. Then, ultimately, he makes a decision with the district's maintenance director around whether it's safe to hold classes.

Chippewa Valley Schools officials consider parking lot conditions throughout the district, the amount of snow and ice that has accumulated, whether buildings have electricity and heat, and other factors.

Dearborn Public Schools bases decisions on cold temperature guidelines set by the National Weather Service, and recess may be canceled due to temperatures as well.

Do Michigan schools have to schedule makeup days?

Under Michigan law, public schools are required to offer 1,098 hours of instruction every school year, with 180 minimum days of instruction, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

But Michigan is a snowy state. So, there's a little wiggle room in the event of a snow day.

Districts can forgive up to six days (as well as the hours in those days) toward the 180-day requirement, if conditions out of the school's control arise, such as a snowstorms, health conditions (like the sudden spread of an illness), power outages and more.

If dangerous weather persists beyond the six forgiven days, schools can request additional forgiven days through a snow day waiver from the state. Some districts in recent years have pivoted to online instruction for a day or two after exhausting their six days.

But students and schools have to make up lost classroom time anytime beyond the six forgiven days (and any additional days waived). According to the Michigan Department of Education, some schools have added minutes onto school days to reach the instructional time minimum required by the state.

While snow days aren't intentionally meant to be morale boosters, Mainka said, sometimes they unintentionally become a much-needed break for hardworking students and staff members.

"I do think there's an added benefit for sure," he said. "For people who work really hard and students who are working really hard and sometimes just having that unexpected break and getting up and going sledding is something that is more than welcome."

And making a fun announcement? Sometimes that's the perfect way to spread a little cheer to students, he said.

Contact Lily Altavena: laltavena@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan school closings and snow days: How they work