(FOX 2) - Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Wednesday the next steps in the state's roadmap to reopen schools and resume in-person learning.
Whitmer announced schools may resume in-person learning in Phase 4 of the MI Safe Start plan, with strict safety measures in place. Additionally, on June 30, she will release an executive order called “Michigan’s Return to School Roadmap” that will provide details on what will be required and what will be recommended for schools.
Right now that means all of Michigan would be able to resume in-person learning in the fall. Six regions in Michigan are currently in Phase 4 of the MI Safe Start plan, and two regions are already in Phase 5, the Traverse City region and the Upper Peninsula.
READ MORE: When can Michigan enter Phase 5, and what it will include
Gov. Whitmer said she is "optimistic" that these regions will remain in at least Phase 4 or 5 throughout the summer, making in-person learning available to resume in the fall.
The Return to School plan that will be released in the coming weeks will align closely with the MI Safe Start Plan. The governor will consider the six phases of the MI Safe Start Plan and the Michigan Economic Recover Council’s 8 regions of the state to determine when, where and how face-to-face instruction can resume.
Districts, students, staff, and families must be nimble and be prepared to move backward if there is evidence of community spread of the virus.
The Roadmap will set the minimum health and safety requirements, although districts may choose to enact more aggressive ones in consultation with local public health officials.
These minimum requirements will apply to all schools, including traditional public, charter, private, and parochial schools.