Face-to-Face Learning Suspended at All Michigan Schools for the Remainder of the School Year

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order on Thursday that will close all K-12 school buildings in Michigan for the remainder of the school year.

Executive Order 2020-35 ensures continued learning by setting up guidelines for remote schooling. The order also states that school buildings and district facilities can be used by employees and contractors for the purposes of facilitating learning at a distance.

In a statement, Gov. Whitmer said,

My number one priority right now is protecting Michigan families from the spread of COVID-19. For the sake of our students, their families, and the more than 100,000 teachers and staff in our state, I have made the difficult decision to close our school facilities for the remainder of the school year.

She went on to say that she understands the challenge that this order creates for parents, but that the guidelines that will be put into place will ensure that parents have resources to continue their children's education from home.