LANSING, MI - A legal battle involving two Michigan school districts' efforts to ban weapons on school grounds is headed to the Michigan Supreme Court.

The court has agreed to hear oral arguments in the cases involving gun rights groups versus Ann Arbor Public Schools and Clio Area School District. The justices will consider the Ann Arbor and Clio schools cases together at a hearing scheduled for April 11.

Ann Arbor Public Schools enrolls about 17,800 students in Washtenaw County, and Clio Area School District enrolls about 3,000 students in Genesee County.

David Comsa, deputy superintendent and general counsel for Ann Arbor Public Schools, said the Supreme Court has asked each side to argue supplemental briefs on three specific points before the justices will decide if they will grant leave to appeal.

"They're focusing on the preemption issue - whether or not the board of education's policies are preempted by state law and case law," Comsa, who is one of the attorneys representing AAPS in the case, told the board of education during a March 7 meeting.

In April 2015, Ann Arbor Public Schools adopted policies that designate all school district property as "dangerous weapon and disruption-free zones" and say no person in possession of a dangerous weapon is allowed to remain on school property.

In a lawsuit against the district filed 12 days after those policies were adopted, Ulysses Wong, whose children attend Ann Arbor Public Schools, and Michigan Gun Owners Inc., a nonprofit that advocates for gun rights and responsible gun ownership, argue Ann Arbor Public Schools is preempted by state regulations on firearms from enforcing its weapons ban.

Related: A round-up of MLive's coverage of Ann Arbor Schools' gun ban

Michigan law says people who are licensed to carry a concealed weapon may have a weapon in a vehicle with them when they are picking up or dropping off a student at school, and people with a concealed weapon license may openly carry their weapon on school property.

Ann Arbor Schools argues it has the power and duty under Michigan's Revised School Code to provide for the safety and welfare of students, which includes regulating visitor access to schools.

Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Carol Kuhnke dismissed the lawsuit against Ann Arbor Public Schools in September 2015, affirming the school district's right to prohibit people from carrying weapons on school property.

Michigan Gun Owners appealed the ruling, and the Michigan Court of Appeals issued a decision in December 2016 that upheld Kuhnke's decision and also sided with Clio School District in the related case.

In March 2015, Kenneth Herman, whose daughter attended a Clio elementary school at the time, and Michigan Open Carry Inc., a nonprofit organization that promotes the lawful open carry of handguns, filed a lawsuit against Clio School District over its gun ban.

Since 1996, Clio Schools has implemented a policy that prohibits visitors from possessing weapons on school district property, at district-sponsored events or in district-owned vehicles. Herman was denied access to school property several times in 2013 and 2014 while openly carrying a pistol with him, according to court documents. Herman has a concealed pistol license.

In September 2015, Genesee County Circuit Court Judge Archie Hayman sided with Herman and Michigan Open Carry, but the Michigan Court of Appeals did not agree.

Similar to Ann Arbor Schools, Clio School District argues it has the authority to regulate the posession of guns on school property.

After the Supreme Court hears the arguments on April 11, the justices could decide to let the Court of Appeals decisions stand, to reverse the lower court decisions or to grant leave for the appeal, which would lead to further briefings and the Supreme Court issuing a decision on the case, Comsa said.

There's no set timeframe for when the justices would decide how to proceed, he added.

"It will be a critical and crucial day ... when the court hears arguments on those three points," he said.

Three entities have filed amicus briefs siding with Ann Arbor Public Schools in preparation for the Supreme Court hearing, including: Michigan Association of School Boards; City of Ann Arbor; and Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., that aims to reduce the number of gun deaths.

Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes safe use and ownership of firearms, filed an amicus brief stating its support for Michigan Gun Owners Inc. and Michigan Open Carry Inc.

"There's a lot of interest across the country, essentially, on this case, and they're allowing all these amicus briefs to be filed," Comsa said.