Dearborn School Board To Review Back To School Options

DEARBORN, MI — The Dearborn Board of Education will weigh three back to school options at a special study session at 1 p.m. Aug 6 as it works to determine how students will return to school.

The district said the board will officially vote on one of the three options, or a modified version of one on Aug. 10 at the Henry Ford College Board of Education meeting.

“I want to thank the teachers, nurses, parents, students, administrators, community members, board trustees and all others who took time to be part of this important work and provide the administration with well thought out recommendations on how best to start the school year,” said Dearborn Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko.

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The meeting will be held virtually and in-person at the District Administrative Service Center, 18700 Audette, in Dearborn. The district said that due to the most recent executive order issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, only 10 people will be able to gather inside the center during the meeting.

Others can watch the meeting via a live stream on the District’s website. Community members can submit comments via a Google Form between 8 a.m. and 1:10 p.m. that day. The board will also use the opportunity to discuss topics such as transportation, cleaning, scheduling, and other health, safety and logistic concerns as well.

Since its first meeting on May 28, the 80 member Dearborn Public Schools Reopen Committee has met six times in virtual settings and has held several additional sub-committee meetings in their efforts to develop a comprehensive recommendation on how best to start the 2020-21 school year, the district said in a news release.

Related: Whitmer Unveils Back-To-School Plan For Michigan

Below are the three options that will be discussed:

Option 1

Begin the school year fully online for all students with face-to-face learning labs available for social-emotional and academic assistance. Details on the scheduling, staffing and availability of Learning Labs will be determined if the board approves this option. If the board were to approve this option the district would only be making a commitment for online learning until Oct. 1. Depending on several factors, including but not limited to: local and state health conditions throughout the month of August and September; CDC guidelines; Wayne County Health Department recommendations; and the current orders from the State of Michigan, the District would re-evaluate the plan to determine the feasibility of changing the mode of instruction (full in-person, online, or a blended model that combines both).

Option 2

Begin the school year blended (partial online and partial in-person) for elementary students and 100 percent online for secondary students with learning labs available for social-emotional and academic assistance available to middle and high school students.

Option 3

The third recommendation is to begin the school year blended (partial online and partial in-person) for elementary and secondary students. It is essential to note that given the current state requirements for schools to hold in-person instruction during Phase 4 of the State’s plan, traditional transportation services may be an issue for this option.