South Kent News

Sen. Peter MacGregor (R-Rockford) is lending his support to "Return to Learn," a joint Michigan Senate-House initiative.  

The "Return to Learn" plan will use relief aid from the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act to give school districts the funding that they need, as well as to help them put the appropriate practices into place to reopen safely. 

While teachers adjusted extremely well to a challenging situation in the spring, there is certainly a need to support teachers and students alike in the coming school year.  

Sen. Peter MacGregor | #MiSenateGOP

“This plan recognizes those difficulties and provides significant financial support to help school districts and teachers adapt to the new era of distance learning, while also focusing on ensuring classrooms are safe and healthy learning environments when the time comes for students to return for in-person instruction,” MacGregor said on MiSenateGOP.

When students leave the classroom, they should continue learning, MacGregor said, and this plan is an ideal way to ensure that parents can feel good about sending their kids back to school or learning to the best of their abilities through flexible approaches. 

“Allowing local school districts to partner with their local health departments to develop health and safety standards that make sense to their community is the right thing to do,” MacGregor told MiSenateGOP. “Our plan will empower school districts to develop flexible learning plans and maximize student learning.”

The "Return to Learn" plan will direct $1.3 billion, including $800 per pupil, to K-12 schools. These funds would help with distance-learning plans and safety and health practices for students coming back into the classroom. Eighty million dollars will be sent to intermediate school districts, with a $500 one-time payment to teachers, which should help cover some of the expenses incurred from moving to distance learning formats.

“I will continue to do my part to ensure teachers get the tools and resources they need to effectively educate the next generation of Michiganders,” MacGregor said, according to MiSenateGOP.