Grand Rapids families face a longer school year while Northern Michigan districts get relief. Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan snow day forgiveness bill into law this week, but the measure does not cover Kent County or most of West Michigan.

The bill that spared Northern Michigan

House Bill 5797 allows school districts in counties covered by executive orders 2026-7, 2026-9, and 2026-11 to waive up to four additional snow days. Those orders were issued in response to severe winter storms, spring flooding, and a water main break in Oakland County.

The bill passed with strong support in both chambers. State Rep. Parker Fairbairn, R-Harbor Springs, sponsored the legislation.

"Unpredictable and extreme winter weather across Northern Michigan and the U.P. this year created a problematic situation for schools that required quick action from lawmakers," Fairbairn said. "I'm grateful to see the Governor sign the bill I sponsored to address this difficult situation, allowing local school boards a little leeway in managing their calendar after a second straight year of extreme weather."

Governor Whitmer signed the bill Tuesday.

"Michigan families are still feeling the impacts of the severe weather that devastated many of our communities," Whitmer said. "This bill removes unnecessary penalties on students and schools whose routines were disrupted."

Why West Michigan was left out

According to reporting from WGRD, West Michigan is notably absent from House Bill 5797. The legislation focused on a March storm that closed schools for multiple days late in the season, primarily affecting Northern Michigan and Upper Peninsula communities.

The counties covered include the entire northern Lower Peninsula and all of the Upper Peninsula. Kent County, home to Grand Rapids, is not among them.

School districts in the covered counties include those in Mason, Lake, Osceola, Clare, Gladwin, Arenac, Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Crawford, Oscoda, Alcona, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Charlevoix, Emmet, Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Gogebic, Ontonagon, Houghton, Iron, Baraga, Marquette, Dickinson, Menominee, Alger, Delta, Schoolcraft, Luce, Chippewa, and Mackinac counties, as well as Keweenaw County.

Oakland County is also covered under executive order 2026-11, declared after a Great Lakes Water Authority transmission main ruptured in May.

What Grand Rapids schools must do

Michigan law requires schools to complete at least 1,098 instructional hours and 180 in-person learning days each year. Districts that exceed their six-snow-day limit must make up the lost time.

Some West Michigan districts, including Allendale and Coopersville, exceeded their snow day limits early in 2026. Those districts have not received state relief.

Districts can apply for a waiver to increase their snow day count to nine days. Many schools are expected to use that option. The decision to add makeup days ultimately falls to individual school boards.

"So far, there have been no official announcements that school districts like Allendale and Coopersville, which exceeded their limits early in 2026, would have their snow days excused," according to WGRD reporting.

A divided state

The bill's geography reflects the uneven impact of this winter's weather. Northern Michigan faced unprecedented snowmelt and flooding in April. The March storms that closed schools late in the season hit the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula hardest.

West Michigan experienced its own snow events earlier in the school year. But those closures did not fall under the executive orders that triggered the forgiveness provision.

State Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, praised the bill for his district.

"Schools and families across my district are pleased to see the extraordinary circumstances of this winter recognized by the forgiveness of these days," McBroom said. "Our schools and teachers have already worked hard to make up the lost classroom time so that students and families can keep their work and summer plans in place."

No Grand Rapids-area lawmakers spoke publicly about the bill's exclusion of Kent County before publication.

What comes next

Grand Rapids-area school districts will determine their own makeup day schedules as the school year ends. Families should check with their local districts for specific dates.

The state has not announced any plans to expand the snow day forgiveness provision to additional counties.