Due to the increase in severe weather conditions, a bill has been proposed to change the number of allowed snow days. This extension would allow schools nine days off instead of six.

Rep. Phil Potvin, R-Cadillac, introduced House Bill 4157 to increase the number of permissible snow days.

Potvin has introduced similar legislation in the past, but the bills never became law.

This year, Potvin returned with a new proposal.

“It’s so important that we give our schools the opportunity for a local choice,” Potvin said. “It all comes down to dollars and cents, and I would much rather see those resources spent on education in the classroom than on transportation.”

The Department of Education reports that Michigan’s 852 local school districts missed an average of 9 1/2 school days during the 2013-14 school year.

Potvin’s bill would prevent schools from going to the end of June as a result of exceeding the limit on snow days. Potvin said the bill would be a permanent fix and put an end to the annual legislative action that deals with this situation.

House Bill 4157 has been assigned to the House Education Committee for consideration.

Cancellations are all based on the safety of the students.

Currently, the state allows school districts to take six days off due to inclement weather.

Most districts in Genesee County have already gone over this limit this year. If the bill is not passed, all districts will have to make these days up in June.

Snow day conditions depend on how the roads are, not how much snow is on the ground. A cold day requires a temperature that is at least 20 degrees below zero, including wind chill.

In recent years, several schools have exceeded the number of allotted days, resulting in extensions of the school year.

If school districts do not meet the minimum requirement, they can lose state funding.

Kearsley has had six cancellations (three snow, three cold) this year.

For students, waking up to a snow day is always a great feeling.

It is another day for them to catch up on sleep, ride a sled, or raid the Netflix queue. It is also another day to do homework that was not done the night before.

But when too many snow days adds school days in June, students do not like that.

Senior Kyle Alburtus said this legislation is a step in the right direction.

“If the bill keeps me from going outside in negative-degree weather or from driving in 4 inches of snow, I like it,” Alburtus said.