Capitol News

House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering) apologized to parents, children and school leaders about having to deal with the concept of "virtual school" in the spring due to COVID-19.

"First let me say this, I do believe that every local school leader, parent and child in the state of Michigan deserves an apology," Chatfield said June 23, according to Michigan House Republicans. "I do not believe that they have received the predictability or the plan or the insight from state government over the past several months that they deserve."

Chatfield called the plan "sensible" and "flexible," so the state could keep students safe in their return to school.

Rep. Lee Chatfield | Michigan House Republicans

"The plan that we're unveiling today is a necessary first step to cooperate with the administration to ensure that we have a healthy education for every single kid in the state of Michigan," Chatfield said, according to Michigan House Republicans. "The plan we're unveiling today will provide the certainty to our local school leaders that is needed."

Earlier this week, the Michigan House approved the Republican lawmakers' plan, which provides in-person instruction for younger students, according to The Detroit News. The Republican plan narrowly passed — 55 to 49 — and clashes with some of the protocols that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer laid out in her own reopening plan.

Democrats argued that teachers were left out of the discussion and that the plans favored online schooling, since it loosened restrictions specifically for remote learning. In the plan, students from kindergarten through fifth grade will be offered in-person instruction, the news media reported.

The reopening package, which includes four bills, will now go to the Senate. Whitmer's own plan maintains that if the state remains in Phase 4, then in-person schooling can commence, but if it falls back into Phase 3, the school year would start out online, according to The Detroit News.