Dearborn School Board Votes To Continue Online Learning

DEARBORN, MI — Online learning in Dearborn will continue until at least mid October after the board of education on Monday approved extending online learning to the next board meeting, scheduled for Oct. 12.

Dearborn Public Schools started the new school year on Aug. 31 completely online and with the expectation of staying remote until at least Oct. 1. The district is also delaying the small group in-school learning labs it had planned to start next week.

The extension of online learning also means that the weekly free student meal distributions will continue on Fridays through at least Oct. 9. Food is available for any district student or any child under 18 in the household.

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The Dearborn community has had a high number of COVID-19 cases per resident in recent weeks, and the board felt it was not yet safe for the community to return students to in-school learning, the district said. The district said it considers the number of cases per resident and metrics like the percent of COVID tests that come back positive in the county in making such decisions. The Wayne County positivity rate has risen to its highest point in months at more than 6 percent.

Dearborn Public Schools has almost 21,000 students and about one-fifth of the students signed up to attend an online only Virtual Learning Program for this school year, according to the district. The rest will return to in-building learning once the board approves the reopening of schools.

The Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education will take up the issue of reopening schools again at its next meeting on Oct. 12. The public meeting will start at 7 p.m. in the Administrative Services Center, 18700 Audette, Dearborn. It will also be broadcast live on the district’s YouTube and cable channels, and community members will be able to submit comments online.

State law requires the Board of Education to reevaluate local COVID-19 conditions and reconsider in-school learning every month this year.