Districts weigh return to in-person learning
Utica schools set to bring back some students this week
With a backdrop of mixed numbers related to the COVID-19 pandemic, could more Macomb County students be heading back to classrooms soon?
Wednesday, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said the statewide rate of 57 cases per million with the test positivity rate at 3.7%. In mid August, as some county school districts were grappling with whether to bring students back to school or hold virtual classes, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Macomb’s positivity rate was double the surrounding region.
The latest data put forth by the state shows that colleges and universities are driving infection rate spikes around the state while Macomb’s numbers have declined.
Macomb and the rest of southeast Michigan is in Phase 4 of the MI Safe Start plan, which allows for in-person learning with more stringent safety protocols in place. When in-person learning was paused then halted last spring, the state was in phase 3
of the 6 phase plan.
So far, six public school districts in Macomb County — Romeo, Lakeview, Lake Shore, Armada, L’Anse Creuse and Eastpointe — are holding some form of in-person classes. That will change this week when the county’s largest school district, the second biggest system in Michigan, will begin a phased approach to bringing students back.
In a release Friday afternoon, interim Superintendent Robert Monroe announced Utica Community Schools will begin holding preschool programs while middle school athletics will start up. By the end of this week, he added guidance regarding the possible start up of kindergarten and first grade classes, as well as special education at all levels, will come out.
“As we begin this careful transition to in-person learning, our goal is to always move forward in a safe and deliberate manner to expand toward inperson learning at all schools and all grade levels,” Monroe said.
As UCS moves toward reopening in-person instruction, other Macomb County school boards continue to revisit the issue. Earlier this week, officials in Chippewa Valley, the county’s second largest district, announced an extended COVID-19 plan is scheduled to come before the board for a vote on Sept. 28, and will also be discussed at a board workshop Monday.
Meanwhile, in its release Friday UCS acknowledged it has held in-person activities for computer distribution/learning opportunity and programs such as high school athletics, marching band and inperson standardized testing activities.
Earlier this month, varsity football was put on hold at Utica High School while the junior varsity team at Chippewa Valley was also paused. A state database that provides weekly totals of COVID-19 cases in schools failed to identify any in Macomb County when it debuted last Monday.
It will be updated tomorrow by 3 p.m.
Khaldun also said Wednesday she is confident a vaccine for the coronavirus could be realized by the end of 2020.
“(The year) 2020 has unquestionably been a very difficult year,” Khaldun said. “But we will not be living like this forever. I’m truly optimistic that a safe and effective vaccine will be developed, and maybe be available this fall.”
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