State superintendent calls for adding school days next year to make up for lost learning Michigan State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice is pushing for a longer school year in 2021-22 as a way to counter the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Posted at 5:56 AM, Feb 03, 2021 and last updated 2021-02-03 05:56:37-05 (WXYZ) â Michigan students could see additional school days if the state superintendent has his way, but that change would not come until next year. Dr. Michael Rice says there has been a historic level of local control, and adds that "there are as many specific approaches to pandemic preK-12 education as there are public school districts nationally."