12-04-2020 1:40pm

Saline School District Announces Continued Virtual Learning Until Jan 8

Virtual instruction will continue within the Saline Area Schools district until at least Jan. 8, according to the an announcement emailed to parents by the district Friday.

"Beyond health and safety (our forefront priority), our ability to staff teachers, necessary support staff and substitutes for in-person learning is simply unsustainable at this time," Superintendent Scot Graden wrote.

Graden cited rising cases counts in Saline's 48176 zip code and among school-aged populations.

Health department data showed the number of people who've tested positive in Saline's zip code rose from 407 to 507 between Nov. 24 and Dec. 3.

In a two week snapshot provided by the health department, 11 percent of the people 2,141 who've tested positive over the last two weeks are people aged 0-17.

The school district plans to offer hybrid learning, for students who selected in-person learning, beginning Jan. 11 if conditions allow it.

Graden said health department officials indicated a vaccine may be available in the near future, providing a "bright spot" for a hopes that normal instruction might soon resume.

Graden asked families to consider to COVID-19 when planning for the holidays.

Graden also announced the following:

Special Education: Families with students receiving special education services can expect individualized communication from the Special Education Department regarding their learning plans.
Learning materials: Teachers and/or building Administration will continue to communicate details of material distribution.
Hornet Homeroom: Hornet Homeroom will be open five days-a-week starting next Monday. For information and registration, click HERE.
Food Service: Meal distribution will be available and communicated as usual. All students are eligible for 7 days worth of meals (breakfast and lunch), and SAS families are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.
Extracurriculars: In-person extracurricular activities remain postponed through December 8th (sports, clubs, etc.).
Building Use: SAS spaces used for outside function (rentals, youth sports, banquets, meetings, etc.) are not available.

"The commitment of the entire community to mitigate the spread is necessary to provide a safe return to school for Saline students," Graden wrote.

As expected, the Saline Area Schools COVID-19 dashboard showed a decline in numbers. Two students and no staff members tested positive for COVID-19 in the recent update - down from a total of 12 people in the district the previous week.

Graden has talked about the number of staff members in quarantine being a operational challenge for the district. There were 15 staff members in quarantine as of Nov. 30, according to the data - down from 21 the week before. There were also 23 students in quarantine.