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Opening schools during a pandemic is a challenging task with many dimensions, according to Rep. Phil Green (R-Millington).

There is the need to keep students and staff healthy, but there are also extra expenses at a time when the economy has taken a hit from COVID-19 shutdown.

The key is to provide schools with “concrete direction as to what we need to do to make our plans to reopen,” said Green in an audio statement on the Michigan House Republicans website from June 28.

Rep. Phil Green | Michigan House Republicans

“We’ve also called for some opportunities for the health department as well as the local schools to work together to see what the health components of keeping our kids safe and healthy would look like inside of the school buildings,” Green said in the audio statement.

At the same time, legislators are “very concerned about what we can do to make things work financially,” Green said in the audio statement.

School systems have added costs in making the school buildings safe and clean for students and staff.

“We have to make some tough decisions on our budget,” Green said in the audio files. “I’m hoping and praying that in our school aid budget that the reduction, if there is one, will be very minimal. And we're going to do our best to keep our schools funded.”

Dollars spent on education shape the future of the state, the legislator said.

“Because if we can’t invest in our children, what can we invest in?” Green asked in his audio statement. “What better investment is there than to invest in the education of our children?”

On July 1, Michigan Gov. Whitmer released a roadmap for districts to use in reopening schools in the fall. It includes safety protocols for districts based on six phases. Most of Michigan is now in phase four, the Washington Examiner reported. Students will be required to wear masks on buses, unless they can't tolerate them medically, according to the report.

Also, students in grades K-5 will be required to masks at school if they have contact with students in other classrooms, according to the Washington Examiner.