What is forgiven time?

Section 101(4) of the State School Aid Act provides districts with six (6) days or the equivalent number of hours of “forgiven time” that can be used when pupil instruction is canceled due to conditions outside the control of school authorities, such as severe storms, fires, health conditions, and infrastructure issues. These initial days or hours can be used at any point throughout the year without prior authorization from the Department given the cancellation falls within the acceptable reasons.

In addition, Section 101(4) provides the State Superintendent the authority to allocate up to three (3) days or the equivalent number of hours of “forgiven time” to districts to be used when instruction was not provided due to unusual and extenuating occurrences resulting from conditions not within the control of school authorities, such as those described above.

Forgiven time and professional development:

Beginning with the 2019-20 school year, if all provisions of Section 101(10) of the State School Aid Act are met, districts may count up to 38 hours of qualifying professional development toward the hours of pupil instruction. Districts may also count this qualifying professional development toward the day requirement if the professional development exceeds five hours in a single day.

In the memo dated December 7, 2023, it was communicated that changes were made to section 101(4) (MCL 388.1701) of the state School Aid Act (Public Act 103 of 2023) supplemental. These amendments now permit districts to have canceled instructional time forgiven, provided that the cancellation meets the statutory requirements for eligibility, even if districts have included eligible professional development as part of their instructional time calendar.

As best practice, MDE continues to encourage the provision and preservation of substantial instructional time that includes students.

Applications for additional forgiven time will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Requirements for requesting additional forgiven time:

The request for additional forgiven time must exhibit the need for the additional forgiven time, including a strong rationale supporting why these days cannot be rescheduled before the end of the school year. The request must also demonstrate how the district initially prepared for cancelations for the current school year, as well as indicate how they might improve upon their planning process for subsequent school years.

As always, the Department encourages districts to be proactive in planning calendars that meet and exceed the days and hours requirements so that there is ample time built in to ensure that students receive the amount of instruction required by law. Eligibility for the additional forgiven time will be based on the unusual and extenuating occurrences reported, and through a review of the district’s preparedness for cancellations.

When to request additional forgiven time:

• Trigger for Request: For districts operating on a 180-day calendar, additional forgiven time may only be requested after cancellations exceed the original six days (i.e., cancellations 7, 8, or 9). Note that forgiven time cannot be granted in anticipation of future cancellations.

• Timing Considerations:

  • Submit your request after a cancellation has occurred and following efforts to reschedule instructional days.
  • Wait until you are confident that inclement weather has passed or when you are reasonably certain that further cancellations are unlikely.
  • Ideally, submit one comprehensive request for all three additional days rather than multiple separate applications. If further cancellations occur after your request, contact Jessica to amend the existing application.

• Submission Deadline: Requests must be submitted before the last scheduled day of instruction. Although there is a soft deadline of May 1, please allow sufficient time for planning in case your request needs further review—each request is evaluated on its own merits, and approval is not automatic.

Be Advised:

>Additional forgiven time will not be granted in advance or on a "just in case" basis.

>Section 101 of the State School Aid Act does not provide the Department authority to grant additional forgiven time for instances where attendance fell below the requirement. Thus, Additional Forgiven Time will not be granted for days where attendance fell below the 75% attendance requirement.