Whitmer, lawmakers exploring more ways to ensure in-person classes amid pandemic

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Tuesday she and legislative leaders are discussing new ways to ensure schools can offer in-person classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said she and legislative leaders discussed the issue Tuesday during the "quadrant" meeting, a regular gathering of the governor and top-ranked lawmakers from both political parties. Whitmer did not share specifics, but said there would be "additional solutions" that may involve future budget proposals.

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"We do have a very robust budget that I'll be proposing in a couple of weeks. A lot of it will be focused on meeting our kids' needs and supporting our educators and keeping them all safe," Whitmer said Tuesday during an interview with the Free Press where she discussed Wednesday's State of the State address.

"But certainly, the Legislature and I share the goal of getting our kids, and keeping our kids, in in-person learning and supporting our districts so that they can do that and keep people safe."

Whitmer said she has asked Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, a Detroit Democrat and father of children in public schools, to "continue the conversation with the Legislature to see whether there are additional things we can work on together."

The issue of in-person school remains a lingering question for educators as the pandemic drags on. In August 2020, Whitmer and Republican legislative leaders worked on a compromise that allowed local health departments and school districts to determine whether to offer classes that were in-person, virtual or a combination of both.

The administration temporarily paused in-person classes for high schools and colleges during the 2020-21 school, but has largely tried to avoid issuing orders that would prevent kids from being physically in school since that time.

Despite this agreement with the administration and Legislature, conservatives and Whitmer critics have repeatedly accused her of mass school closings.

This year, the administration has avoided essentially all pandemic mandates. Instead, they've called on local districts to institute mask requirements; some have, some haven't.

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In addition to avoiding statewide orders, the state also changed budget language to end a system that more easily allowed schools to use virtual instruction. In Michigan, school funding is based on instruction time, which generally means in-person classes.

However, districts are eligible to apply for a waiver, "in the event that circumstances outside of a district’s control require the move to remote learning," Whitmer spokesman Bobby Leddy told the Free Press last year. Some districts, including Detroit and Flint public schools, have used this program recently to offer virtual classes.

Decisions to avoid in-person classes come as Michigan's COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are at some of their highest levels. While some rates appeared to have plateaued very recently, that does not mean these trends will necessarily come down rapidly or without ongoing mitigation efforts.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously said students may resume in-person classes, but recommends all students wear masks while indoors. The CDC also pointed to several studies showing higher case rates among students in areas where general community transmissions are more pervasive.

Despite not issuing new orders, Whitmer and her administration have changed their tone a bit on fighting the pandemic. Last summer, when the remaining restrictions were repealed, Whitmer said: "We can breathe safely, knowing that we can hug and love our friends and relatives, and this was a wonderful moment."

More recently, Whitmer and health officials continued to beg residents to get vaccinated and boosted, to wear masks and to practice social distancing.

"The data is clear: If you are unvaccinated, you are risking hospitalization or death," state health department Director Elizabeth Hertel said in a recent statement.

"We have a safe and effective vaccine that is quite literally saving lives. Michigan residents absolutely need to get vaccinated to keep their loved ones safe."

Free Press staff writer Kristen Jordan Shamus contributed to this report.

Contact Dave Boucher: dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Whitmer, lawmakers exploring more ways to ensure in-person classes