High schools allowed to reopen

School officials welcome news, can start planning

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Friday the state will allow a prohibition on in-person instruction at Michigan high schools to expire as scheduled on Sunday, ending speculation that it would be extended into the new year.

She also announced loosening restrictions on higher education.

“Colleges and universities will be able to have students returned to campus for the winter semester,” Whitmer said. “I have asked them to delay in-person classes resuming until Jan. 19 and move in until Jan. 16. I’m pleased to say that most of them have already indicated they will push back their calendar.”

The lifting of the order means high schools that offer in-person learning could return to classrooms as soon as Monday, though most schools will have already begun their holiday break by then.

“Making this change now allows schools to consider locally if offering face-to-face learning for high school works for their community,” Whitmer said in a news conference.

The lifting of the order doesn’t mean all high school students will return to classrooms in January. Many high schools were offering only virtual instruction even before the Nov. 15 order because their large student pop

ulations make social distancing difficult.

Education officials welcomed the announcement, saying it provides clarity for them as they plan for the new year.

“As we continue to navigate the phases of this pandemic and look toward Michigan’s recovery and reopening, we have to ensure that classroom instruction remains a top priority,” said Tina Kerr, executive director of the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators. “While safety remains paramount, we know that Michigan’s children are in definite need of the social and emotional learning and benefits they get from actually being in the classroom.”

All high schools have been virtual since Nov. 18 following a spike in COVID-19 cases statewide.

The state order also has prohibited indoor restaurant dining and in-person classes at colleges, closed entertainment venues and barred organized sports.

State officials this week reported progress in the fight against the virus, saying new cases continue to decline and that Michigan has seen no spike related to Thanksgiving travel. They warned, though, that the case rate remains high.

Robert Gordon, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, said lifting the ban on high school instruction now is important.

“Knowing the centrality of education to children, to families and to our future, we look forward to working with schools so they can ... use testing to enable safe reopening, sooner (rather) than later,” he said.

Gordon said the state plans to allow outdoor non-contact sports to reopen and to resume fall sports like football by using quick tests, known as antigen tests, that check for proteins that can indicate a person has COVID-19. The test are faster than other tests for the virus.

“As students complete high school fall championships, this is a very limited number of schools that had seasons interrupted,” Gordon said. “This will be a chance to do two things: It will allow students to complete a season that, of course, is very important to them, and it will let schools and the state of Michigan work together to learn how we can use antigen tests to encourage safe reopening in January.”

The November order halting in-person learning in high schools has been the subject of a lawsuit in federal court in Grand Rapids. Three Catholic High Schools and an association that represents non-public schools is asking a judge to block the order, claiming it violates their First Amendment right to practice religion.

The suit notes that boarding schools, some technical schools and some special education providers are allowed to operate in person under the current order but religious high schools are not. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are happy to see the order expire.

“I think it’s the right decision,” said Brian Broderick, executive director of the Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools, which sued the state. “Our schools will be happy because they’ll be able to offer in-person learning and faith formation, which is what they’ve wanted to do from the beginning.”

It’s unclear how the state’s decision will affect the lawsuit the schools have filed. The judge could dismiss the request for an injunction by noting the point is moot now that the order has ended.

Broderick remained hopeful that the courts would rule on the First Amendment claim.

“If you keep issuing orders every couple weeks, it’s hard to go to court and say you’re harmed,” Broderick said. “At some point you have to stand up for your rights.”

U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney on Monday heard oral arguments in the case and said he would issue an order as soon as possible.