HANCOCK — Three Copper Country superintendents testified before a Michigan House and Senate Education Committee hearing on Wednesday, in reference to necessary support to return to school in September.

This past Wednesday, State Rep. Gregg Markkanen (R) Dollar Bay, asked Copper Country Intermediate School District (CCISD) Superintendent George Stockero; Ontonagon Superintendent Jim Bobula, and Hancock Schools’ Superintendent Steve Patchin, to speak at the hearing.

“In my testimony,” stated Patchin in his weekly email update on Friday, “I shared the journey of the Hancock Education Team to support and engage our students and community during the crisis. The Hancock Team immediately took steps to continue the learning experience through use of activities packets then adding virtual engagement. Our team also implemented food service directives, which, thanks to Shelby Turnquist, will continue to serve our community until we return to school in the Fall.”

The House Committee on Education met jointly with the Senate Committee to hear testimony on Education and Career Readiness on Wed. at 10:30 a.m.

Patchin, during his talk, requested legislative action supporting efforts to return to school, including:

• Provide K-12 seat-time waivers, allowing schools to also teach students remotely who choose not return to school immediately in the fall, yet still receiving credit for educating them. Current law is very restrictive and doesn’t allow true innovation needed at this time.

• Provide schools flexibility in the use of masks and face shields, even allowing it to be optional, but allow decisions to be made locally. This is currently in the back to school plan, but Gov. Whitmer’s executive order to wear masks in public overruled that option.

• Create more flexibility in the pupil accounting system. Currently Hancock Schools receive 90% of its operating funds based on a ‘count day’ in October. Loosen these restrictions for those students that might return after that date. This includes a request to limit school funding cuts for next year.

• Help schools change the narrative regarding the virus – contracting COVID-19 can be fatal in some instances but contracting COVID-19 is not a death sentence for all. A campaign needs to be launched to promote personal hygiene protocols, but also puts outcomes of contracting the virus in perspective.

“We will return to school, but all will need to achieve a level of safety to make this occur,” stated Patchin. “We are putting together a plan to mitigate the spread of the virus to achievable levels.”

To ensure this will occur, the Hancock Public School plan will be published by Aug. 17 for all to review.

Patchin said the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department educational team has already been asked by the chairman of the committee to return to testify again as new issues and proposed legislation issues arise.

“Thanks to Rep. Markkanen for helping western U.P. K-12 schools have a voice in state decisions regarding education,” said Patchin.

Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula schools are in Phase 5 of Whitmer’s economic reopening plan, allowing for the opening of bars, restaurants and limited capacity in movie theaters and museums stated Detroit News.com on June 30. The school plan calls for “required” and “strongly recommended” safety protocols to keep school communities safe based on the status of the coronavirus, the News went on to state. The plan also provides recommendations for mental and social-emotional health, instruction and operations depending on which phase of Whitmer’s economic reopening plan each region is in.

On July 10, Whitmer issued an executive order that toughened and expanded Michigan’s mask-wearing requirements, saying that wearing masks is the best way to reverse an increase in coronavirus cases.

Though a violation can be a misdemeanor and bring a $500 fine, Whitmer’s order and the news release that detailed it is silent on enforcement. Whitmer said this past Thursday that local officials will likely need to become more active in enforcement. The previous order did not set out specific penalties for violation.

Whitmer’s order has been met with stiff opposition, not only from school districts, such as Hancock, which will require flexibilities, but also from businesses.

Under the order, businesses open to the public must refuse entry and service to individuals who refuse to wear a mask. Retailers found to be in violation of the executive order could have their business license temporary suspended as well as their liquor license. The Michigan Retailers Association has responded, saying the order is impossible to enforce, and violations of the order should be left to the police and not put upon retailers, stated a July 10 Michigan Capitol Confidential.com article, titled, “Retailers to Whitmer: We Aren’t Your Face Mask Police.”