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Schools see shutdowns, weigh moving online, as COVID surge continues

knittymarie

COVID-19 is continuing to create staffing problems and pushing public schools to either move online - or shutdown.

Mount Pleasant schools were off on Monday and in Shepherd schools have moved online for at least a week - and maybe longer.

Michigan schools have long struggled with staffing and officials say the pandemic has only exacerbated those problems.

Greg McMillan is the interim superintendent of Shepherd Public Schools. He said as COVID has surged, more staff have been exposed and now they can’t staff in-person classes.

“It’s just a horrible place we’re at,” he said. “I wish I could see the end. They predicted this second wave and it’s definitely happening.”

McMillan said he will meet with the school board this week to decide how the district will move forward.

“After thorough discussion, we’ll figure out what we’re going to do next whether it’s this week or we extend it two weeks or through Thanksgiving,” he said. “I don’t know I can’t forecast that and like I said everybody wants these kids in school.”

In Mount Pleasant, superintendent Jennifer Verleger said that the district would like to keep students in a face to face environment as long as possible.

“But we are prepping to making a transition to virtual learning if needed,” she said in a statement.

Mount Pleasant has struggled with staffing not just for instruction, according to Verleger, but also for support staff.

“We also have to make sure we have enough staff to run our buses, prepare meals, clean our buildings, etc,” she said. “Our staff shortage has only increased due to the COVID pandemic.”

Gaylord Community schools have had to shut down once to complete contact tracing but haven’t had to shut down due to staff shortages. The district hired substitute teachers full time in an effort to reduce competition over substitutes with other districts.

Brian Pearson is the superintendent of Gaylord Community Schools. He said as the pandemic continues he hopes residents will help schools reduce the spread of COVID.

“I can’t plead with our public enough to be cautious outside of school because that does impact our ability to run,” he said.

Pearson said within the schools there are protocols that keep the virus of spreading. But, he said, it’s difficult to keep it from getting to the school from the community.

“We have it well controlled within the school," he said. “But I worry about weekends, I worry about social gatherings, I worry about social gatherings outside of school. Whatever people can do to prevent it and slow the spread helps us keep our doors open.”

Liz Boyd is the acting communications director with the Michigan Education Association. She said they support schools making decisions for themselves about staying open or moving online.

“We really hope that the legislature will get behind the administration when it comes to mandating mask-wearing,” she said. “We see it nationally that masks really do make a difference.”

Last week, Governor Gretchen Whitmer called on the legislature to pass legislation supporting mask-wearing and “get the politics out of this public health crisis.”

New House Speaker-elect, Republican Jason Wentworth, called the Governor’s plea “a stunt.”

Since November 2nd the state has reported COVID outbreaks at more than 40 schools.