High school students in Michigan can return to in-person classes as soon as Monday following a loosening of statewide restrictions after health workers recorded manageable coronavirus case numbers in December.
Students in the state were sent home on Nov. 15 following an executive order by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as health workers witnessed a spike in COVID-19 cases statewide.
“Making this change now allows schools to consider locally if offering face-to-face learning for high school works for their community,” Whitmer said during a Friday afternoon news conference.
The decision not to extend the prohibition beyond its Sunday expiration date comes after Michigan officials recorded progress noting that the number of COVID-19 cases in the state continues to fall while remarking that the Thanksgiving holiday did not lead to a greater spread of the disease. According to the New York Times coronavirus tracker, cases of the highly contagious virus dropped significantly since late November, when the state recorded more than 16,000 cases in one day.
Tina Kerr, executive director of the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators, said students in the state “are in definite need of the social and emotional learning and benefits they get from actually being in the classroom.”
“As we continue to navigate the phases of this pandemic and look toward Michigan’s recovery and reopening, we have to ensure that classroom instruction remains a top priority,” Kerr said.
Three Catholic high schools, which brought a lawsuit against Whitmer’s orders via a federal court in Grand Rapids, said it was the “right decision,” although it is unclear whether the suit will progress.
Whitmer has been at the center of a monthslong battle over some of the most aggressive COVID-19 restriction guidelines in the country.
