ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - One of Michigan’s largest school districts will likely start the new year with online instruction only.
The Ann Arbor district will open classrooms to more than 18,000 students only if coronavirus conditions improve, MLive.com reported.
“I don’t know if we have any other choice,” school board member Rebecca Lazarus said. “If we’re putting student safety at the forefront, virtual is what we have to do until we can get this under control.”
A formal vote is planned for next week. But board members had no objections to the district’s plan Wednesday night.
The Ann Arbor district is offering three online options, including one for grades 6-12 that would allow students to complete assignments at their own pace. Teachers would offer feedback. All students will be provided with an iPad or Chromebook.
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LATEST NUMBERS:
The Michigan health department reported 699 new coronavirus infections and seven deaths. It’s the highest number of confirmed daily cases in the last eight days.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
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GOT RICE?
A judge declined to intervene in a dispute over Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s coronavirus orders and the size of a wedding in western Michigan.
David Vansolkema and Kiley Stuller plan to get married Friday at Baker Events center in Holland. They said Whitmer’s restriction on the number of people at indoor events violates their constitutional rights.
U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker rejected a request for a restraining order.
“The court in no way minimizes the disappointment for any bride and groom who decide - however reluctantly - to trim the reception during a pandemic. But these are not the core interests protected by the First Amendment speech, association, and religious practice provisions,” Jonker said.
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