Gov. Whitmer Announces Plans for a Return to School

What will school look like in Saline this fall?

The answer is tied to the spread of COVID-19.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released the MI Safe Schools Roadmap for reopening schools during a press conference Tuesday.

"These requirements and recommendations will not always be easy to implement, but they're absolutely necessary," Whitmer said. "These measures are designed to increase the likelihood of keeping Michigan schools open."

Michigan's K-12 schools have been closed by executive order since March 16 due to concerns about the coronavirus.

Whitmer's plan, developed by the Return to School Advisory Council, provides safety protocols to keep school communities safe. The phased plan is tied to Whitmer's MI Safe Start Plan, the blueprint for reopening the state. It is filled with requirements and recommendations, with regulations loosening as regions see the coronavirus recede.

Based on today's coronavirus activity in the Southeast Michigan region, school would start as planned - but with more stringent safety protocols. Saline and Washtenaw County are part of a region that would operate under MI Safe Start Phase 4. Anything lower than Phase 4 would not allow schools to reopen and require remote learning.

School could look much different. In Phase 4:

• Staff must always wear facial coverings unless they are eating meals. PreK-5 teachers should consider wearing clear masks. 
• Staff, students and drivers must wear facial coverings during school transportation unless they are medically unable to wear one.
• Students must wear masks in hallways and common areas. Students in grades 6-12 must wear facial coverings in classes. Students in K-5 must wear coverings unless the students are sequestered. Students medically unable to wear a mask are not required to wear one.
• Schools must provide supplies (soap, hand sanitizer, paper towels, etc) for hygiene. Schools should also post signs reinforcing proper techniques.
• It's strongly recommended that schools educate staff and students about proper sneezing and coughing techniques.
• Schools should keep students' personal items separate and in individually labeled places, containers or lockers.
• Schools should space desks six feet apart in classrooms. Class sizes should be kept to levels allowing this spacing.
• Teachers should remain six feet away from students as much as possible.
• Schools should not allow family members or guests in the building except under extenuating circumstances.
• Schools must cooperate with the health department to implement protocols for screening students and staff.
• Schools should designate a quarantine area for staff or students who become ill.
• Symptomatic students sent home should be kept home until they have tested negative or completely recovered.
• Staff should conduct daily self-examinations, including a temperature check. Those with symptoms should stay home.
• Schools must prohibit assemblies that bring together students from more than one classroom.
• Schools should use outdoor areas or classrooms for students to eat meals if distancing is not possible in the cafeteria. Meals can be staggered to create room in cafeterias.
• Schools should suspend off-site field trips that require bus transportation to an indoor location.
• Recess should be conducted outside. If more than one class is outside, students should wear facial coverings.
• There are also guidelines for athletic events and participation.

Should Saline's regional graduate to Phase 5, some of these restrictions would be eased.

Michigan's State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice was encouraged by the plan.

“We’re going back to school. It’s a good day,” Rice said. “We are in the midst of a pandemic. It is a public health crisis. At the same time, we have to educate our children. This roadmap provides us a framework to meet both public health and public education challenges."

Rice called on Congress to approve federal aid to schools to help fund all the extra costs schools face.

“Congress needs to approve additional federal aid so that children’s education is not harmed in a pandemic," Rice said. "This additional federal aid needs to include not simply funding to make up for lost state aid in the pandemic, but also funding to address personal protection equipment  and catch-up learning in the pandemic.”

According to the report's executive summary, the plans are guided by the following principles:

• Equitable access to learning is a right for each child.
• In collaboration with parents, students, and teachers, schools will use data and evidence to prioritize resources for each child.
• Teachers and staff will prioritize deep, meaningful relationships to create safe learning environments for each child.
• Teachers and staff will empower the value, cultivation of relationships, and belonging of student and parent voice in all aspects of learning and emotional support for families.

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