Coronavirus Detroit
Masking, routine testing and other precautions will be relaxed this school year
District taps COVID relief funds to support family-friendly Summer on the Block events, summer programming and door-to-door outreach
Measures include beefing up teams that monitor attendance, and better targeting support to schools.
The head of the Detroit teachers union said his members are fine with the lifting of the mandate, for now
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti cited opposition among union members but signaled he would go ahead with lifting the mandate on July 1.
Detroit is one of the few school districts in Michigan requiring universal testing for all employees, students and contractors.
The teacher challenged the Detroit school district’s requirement that most teachers work in person, citing medical conditions that put her at risk of acute COVID-19.
The new policy, if approved by the board would requires all employees to disclose their COVID vaccine status.
Detroit is among the few remaining school districts in the state, along with Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo, that still have a mask requirement.
Any uptick in enrollment is welcome news to Michigan educators, who have been warning that students were missing out on critical education experiences.
The Detroit school board addressed its vaccine mandate and compensation for its members at its Tuesday meeting.
Detroit school district students and staff have been required to wear a mask in school buildings since the beginning of the school year.
Statewide enrollment is still down 3% since before the pandemic — and 5% in city districts — raising questions about where those students went.
Staff members had until Feb. 18 to be fully vaccinated.
The school district will wait for a recommendation from the city health department, even as other Michigan counties have lifted their mask mandates.
To get vaccinated on campus, students will have to provide signed parental consent. The Detroit district plans to open clinics at all its 107 buildings by June.
Detroit superintendent says funding is helpful but the real problem is a testing shortage.
The Detroit Public Schools Community District is requiring all employees to get vaccinated by Feb. 18. Until then, the district has required unvaccinated staff to undergo weekly testing.
Michigan’s strong financial position doesn’t mean the Republican-controlled Legislature is likely to go along with the Democratic governor’s election-year budget goals
Vaccines and testing reduce the spread of COVID, which is disrupting student learning and families’ lives.
Parents in the Detroit Public Schools Community District have until Jan. 31 to turn in COVID testing consent forms if they want their children to learn in person
The decision mirrors recent moves by school districts across the state and country to revert to remote learning.
More than a third of families surveyed reported internet and computer issues during the school year, researchers found, contributing in part to the rise in absenteeism.
The Detroit school board voted unanimously for the mandate in a special meeting Thursday.
District vaccine mandates for staff are rare in Michigan, which had the second most COVID cases per capita in the country over the last week.
Doses are already available at many Michigan pharmacies and health departments.
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