DETROIT – We’re roughly halfway through the 2025-26 school year, and many Metro Detroit school districts have already used up the “snow days” built into their calendars.
That can leave families wondering: What happens next if winter weather or another emergency forces more closures?
---> Frigid Friday: 4Warn Weather Alert Due to Extreme Wind Chills
Here’s how it works in Michigan and what it could mean for your child’s schedule.
Michigan allows a limited number of no-penalty closure days
In Michigan, school districts are generally allowed to miss up to six days because of weather or other events outside the district’s control (snow, ice, extreme cold, flooding, tornadoes, and, in rare cases, even extreme heat) without losing state funding.
Once those days are used, the district doesn’t have unlimited “free” closures left.
Time usually has to be made up
If a district goes beyond the allowed number of missed days, the most common outcome is straightforward: the school year gets extended, usually by adding days in June.
That can affect family plans, child care, camps, vacations, and high school scheduling. Districts typically notify families as soon as they know make-up days are likely, but sometimes the calendar shift isn’t finalized until later in the winter because districts are waiting to see how many additional closures occur.
Sometimes the state can forgive extra days
There is a less common option: a district can request state “forgiveness” for additional missed days. Michigan has occasionally forgiven extra days when a district only exceeded the limit by a day or two.
The state superintendent may approve up to three additional days in unusual or unforeseen circumstances.
Forgiveness is possible, but families shouldn’t assume it will happen.
Some districts plan as if they’ll need to make the time up, adding buffer days into their calendars. This is done by starting school before Labor Day or adding extra hours and days, preparing for more than six closures.
Whether your district has this cushion depends on how the calendar was designed before the start of the year.
Districts may try to avoid closures
When snow days are already gone, districts may feel more pressure to stay open. But staying open during bad weather comes with real tradeoffs:
- Safety risks (student drivers, walkers, bus stops, untreated side roads, limited winter clothing, etc.)
- Operational risks (staff shortages, buses running late, building issues)
- Financial risks: If attendance drops below 75%, districts can lose funding for that day, sometimes totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars -- money that’s difficult to replace.
So even if the district “stays open,” families might see more messaging about attendance or transportation.
What parents and guardians can do
If your district is low on (or out of) snow days, it can help to:
- Watch for updated calendar notices (district website/email)
- Have backup child care plans for possible closures or delayed starts
- Plan for a potential June extension, especially if your family schedules summer programs early
- Check attendance and excused absence policies during severe weather days when school remains open
Even when snow days are gone, closures are still possible and necessary. If additional days are missed, the most common result is adding days to the end of the school year, with “forgiveness” as a possibility but not a sure thing.
---> You can track school closings in SE Michigan right here.
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