District delays return to in-person learning — again

Remote learning to continue until at least Jan. 11

Elementary students in the Farmington Public Schools will remain in remote learning until at least Jan. 11.

The Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday, Nov. 10, to extend the return to in-person school, following a recommendation of Superintendent Bob Herrera.

The district began the 2020-21 school year with all students learning remotely.

Officials planned to return elementary children to face- to- face learning Nov. 9, then later extended it by one week.

Secondary students are scheduled to return to inperson learning on Jan. 25.

The district presented several factors that led to this recommendation. According to a release from the district, these factors include:

Oakland County risk level

The Board of Education approved the return to inperson learning for grades K- 5 when the community spread was at a Level C risk factor. However in just a matter of days, our community moved from a Level C risk to a Level E Risk.

Oakland County Health Division guidance

While the district has not had in-person schooling for K-12 students, it has had in-person learning in the early childhood center and special education classrooms. Staff members are working in our schools/ sites, including Nutrition Services, Central Office, Maintenance, and Transportation. The district currently has 37 staff members quarantined. The Oakland County Health Division recommends districts consider remote instruction for all

Community spread

While the OCHD has said it is not seeing community spread within school buildings, schools must deal with the impact of community spread. A high rate of community spread results in adults and students coming in contact with the virus outside of school. Although the district’s mitigation strategies reduce the chance of spread while in school, it will face operational issues such as workforce shortages that will force a remote learning model or a shutdown of various departments.

Families changing educational selection

On average, over the past week, 15-20 families per elementary school, a total of 140-150 families, have moved from in-person instruction back to remote instruction. District officials believe this number will increase in the weeks ahead.

Continuity of learning

It will be difficult to maintain a continuity of learning if the district is constantly moving from in- person to remote instruction as cases develop in schools. Teachers will be able to focus on teaching remotely instead of focusing on the different methods for teaching in-person and remotely.

Disruption to families

The district acknowledges the disruption of the constant moving from inperson to remote instruction. The district wants to provide stability for families so they know what to expect for the next few months.

Workforce concerns

“If we have approximately eight bus drivers call out sick, we would not be able to transport students to and from school,” the release said.

“We have subs set up to accommodate class coverage but this is stressed when we reach approximately 10 percent of our teachers who are absent on a given day.”