DETROIT — Public schools are firming up their fall instruction plans this month, as the State of Michigan has ultimately let districts decide if they want to provide in-person learning, virtual lessons or a hybrid of both.
The state is currently offering a guideline on how to do it safely during this unprecedented health crisis.
The MI Safe Schools Roadmap directs school districts to come up with distinct plans and offers guidelines for safety protocols, including using PPE, good hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting, spacing in classrooms, symptom screening, athletics and more.
During the MI Safe Start Phase 4, which is what Michigan is currently in, schools can re-open in person with stringent safety protocols. If the state slips into phases 1-3, online learning will be the only option.
With information changing quickly and many districts still formulating their plans, here's a running list of metro Detroit's public schools that have announced full virtual learning or elements of online learning.
Allen Park Public Schools
Allen Park Public Schools will offer options at each grade level with no time constraints for families, in addition to the option for full-time online learning program for the 2020-21 school year.
Anchor Bay School District
Anchor will start the year off with full remote learning and will reevaluate its plans Oct. 2. In a full reversal during a board meeting Aug. 19, the board voted to strike its plan of in-person schooling, with the option for remote and go full remote.
Ann Arbor Public Schools
Ann Arbor Public Schools has announced the upcoming school year start online, with the first day of school starting Sept. 8. The district plans to bring students in when it's safe to do so.
Berkley School District
Berkley Schools is recommending online schooling until at least Oct. 30. Read Berkley's return to school road map.
Birmingham Public Schools
Birmingham Public Schools will be starting the school year virtually, with a plan to revisit options in November 2020.
Bloomfield Hills Schools
The school district voted to start the school year 100% virtual.
Brighton Area Schools
The school board voted that students will have face-to-face instruction on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays but will learn remotely on Wednesdays.
The 2-1-2 approach will be in place as long as Michigan doesn't move back into Phase 3 of re-opening.
Dearborn Public Schools
Dearborn Public Schools will start the school year online -- until at least Oct. 1. Later in September, school board trustees will reevaluate conditions to see if things have improved enough to move toward allowing more students in schools. In-school learning labs will be offered for students who need additional in-person support.
Detroit Public Schools Community District
Detroit Public Schools Community District is offering in-person and full virtual learning options. The district announced class sizes will be scaled back to 15 and arrival and dismissal times will be staggered. For more information, click here.
Farmington Public Schools
Farmington Public Schools is recommending a fully remote learning model or hybrid instruction, which would be two days a week in-person and three days of learning at a distance.
Fraser Public Schools
Fraser Public Schools announced in June an entirely virtual school for K-12 students and traditional in-person classes for the fall. For more information, click here.
Grosse Pointe Public Schools
The Grosse Pointe Public School System plans to start the 2020-2021 school year with full remote learning. GPPSS said there will be a gradual plan to bring everyone back and believes it is better, safer and in "everyone's best interest" to begin the school year in full remote learning.
Huron Valley Schools
Huron Valley Schools will offer virtual learning and in-person learning, however, in-person learning will be delayed. For more information, visit the school's website.
Lake Orion Community Schools
The school board approved a plan for all students to begin the 2020-2021 school year remotely, with the intention of reopening school buildings for in-person learning on Nov. 9.
Livonia Public Schools
The district will do a blended return to learn, which includes 5-days a week school and an online component. The elementary schools will start with half days the first few weeks of school and do remote learning the second half so that the district can pivot if the state slides back to phases 1-3.
Northville Public Schools
The 2020-2021 Northville Public School year will begin in a September Virtual Start followed by transitions throughout the month of September into in-person learning designed by grade level. The district will also offer full virtual lessons.
Novi Public Schools
Plans to offer in-person instruction, a hybrid blend of in-person & virtual as well as virtual online instruction. Parents will have a chance to decide which mode of instruction they want for their students through next week.
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
The district will begin the 2020 school year in a 100% virtual learning scenario.
Rochester Community Schools
The district opted for 100% virtual learning to begin the 2020-2021 school year. The online model will be in place until at least Oct. 1, school officials say.
Royal Oak Schools
The start of the school year will be fully remote for K-8 through the end of the first quarter, November 6, 2020. The primary delivery of instruction for high school students will be online.
Southfield Public Schools
Southfield Public Schools will start the 2020-21 school year online.
South Lyon Community Schools
South Lyon Community Schools will start the school year with virtual classes, phasing in classroom instruction after four weeks if things don't get worse. Students and parents protested prior to the meeting, demanding a regular start to the school year despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for more information.
Taylor School District
Superintendent Mark Kleinhans says parents can choose either face-to-face or virtual learning, but the entire school district will start the first four weeks of school all virtual.
Troy School District
The Troy School Board voted unanimously to start the school year all virtual.
Utica Community Schools
Utica Community Schools will open only remotely until at least Oct. 30, officials voted Monday. The district will be using UCS Virtual Academy, which is an online program taught by UCS teachers using district curriculum that directly parallels classroom instruction.
Walled Lake Consolidated School District
The district will offer students two options: full in-person instruction and virtual learning. To read the district's plan, click here.
Warren Consolidated SchoolsThe district is offering in-person instruction (as long as our state remains in Phase 4, 5, or 6 of the MI Safe Schools Return to School Roadmap) or enrollment in our virtual program.
Wayne Westland Schools will start school year 100 percent online, which is approved for the first eight weeks of classes. This is for all K through 12 students.
West Bloomfield Schools
West Bloomfield Schools will opt for blended learning which offers online and hybrid for the fall. High schools will be remote learning while the elementary and middle schools will be blended.
