Back-To-School Roadmap
Governor Whitmer announces that Michigan schools may resume in-person learning in the fall.
Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that Michigan schools may resume in-person learning in phase 4 of the MI Safe Start plan, with strict safety measures in place this coming school year.
The governor also announced that on June 30th, she will release an executive order and a robust document called “Michigan’s Return to School Roadmap” that will provide details on what will be required and what will be recommended for schools.
The Return to School plan will align closely with the MI Safe Start Plan. The governor will consider the six phases of the MI Safe Start Plan and the Michigan Economic Recover Council’s 8 regions of the state to determine when, where, and how face-to-face instruction can resume.
The Roadmap will set the minimum health and safety requirements, although districts may choose to enact more aggressive ones in consultation with local public health officials. These minimum requirements will apply to all schools, including traditional public, charter, private, and parochial schools.
As you are aware, nearly 100 individuals have been working over the past several weeks as part of Holland Public Schools' Business As Unusual plan as we prepare for the upcoming school year.
Nearly 1,000 parents have participated in our recent surveys regarding this past spring and our remote learning plan and additional supports needed at home.
We are working on another survey that will assist in guiding us through our work in the areas of school/family partnerships, hybrid learning models, building infrastructure (safety/health/schedules), budget and spring/summer learning transitions back into school this fall. The committees have been doing a great job identifying local concerns and ways in which we can best prepare and respond.
Here are the planned next steps in this work:
- BAU task force teams will continue to meet and respond to requirements that we receive on June 30.
- Initial recommendations are scheduled to come forward to the Board of Education on July 6, 2020, at our next Board Study Session. This will require a careful review of what is provided to us from the Governor's Office, and what additional steps each of our teams have been working on, or, may need to add as part of the information we will receive on June 30.
- We will then begin to establish a communication time-line to our parents outlining the key components of HPS Return to School Plan.