On November 2nd, the Board of Education for the Chippewa Valley Schools district made a very tough decision on how students will be educated this year. The original plan had been to send the students back for hybrid-learning on the 9th but due to the rise of COVID cases, they re-voted and changed plans.  

As stated in the email sent out to the families of CVS, “With the numbers of positive COVID-19 cases on the rise in Macomb County and CVS, Chippewa Valley Schools Superintendent Ron Roberts made a recommendation to the CVS Board of Education to temporarily pause the reopening of our middle and high schools for in-person learning.”  

The email also said that the next possible date for reopening is scheduled for January 25th, so if you’re anticipating returning to in-person learning that will be a date to remember. 

A couple people explained their opinions on the pause to reopen, and most of the responses had a similar overall meaning. 

Parent of a DHS student– “As a parent and an educator, I feel very strongly that our kids should be in school. School is much more than just academics, there is a social component that cannot be learned at home. It is the experiences, meeting new people and lessons learned that our kids are missing out on.” 

Despite their opinion being against the idea of school staying online, the parent also expressed their support for the decision in the current situation by saying, “I am confident that CVS is trying to do what they feel is best for all. Although I am not happy with their decision, I support the complexity of ensuring the safety of our children and the staff.” 

Another parent of a DHS student- “I was disappointed because the rest of the districts around the area have found a way to stay open and provide hybrid learning. But I also understand that the cases were rising and if more and more people were being quarantined for 14 days just for being exposed to someone, and the district didn’t know how to continue to support kids while they are quarantined, then I think it’s best they waited.” 

One 9th grade student in the district also stated that they, “…would rather go back now to get the feeling of how school was.” Many students had looked forward to finally getting some fresh air and have the opportunity to go back to school in person. For some students online-schooling just isn’t the same, and getting a lesson taught to them in-person just has a much bigger impact. 

2020 is a very strange year, and COVID has been coming down very hard on the education and social lives of these students; but the CVS school district is trying their best to support the students in any way possible, while also assuring that the students stay safe.