When schools return to ânormal,â Michigan educators say they will face massive costs to recoup academic losses and address their studentsâ mental, social and emotional issues. A group of educators across the state joined a media roundtable Thursday, Dec. 10, to talk about new costs to address new issues borne out of remote learning in a pandemic. Most schools have been in remote mode since late March, with brief interludes of in-person classes earlier this fall, before the number of coronavirus cases began to climb again. - Advertisement - Schools will need state and federal help to fund about $1 billion statewide in new costs, said Wanda Cook-Robinson, superintendent of the Oakland Schools intermediate district.