ROSEVILLE, Mich. – Roseville Community Schools voted Monday to begin the 2020-21 school year online only after initially announcing a return to full-time, in-person instruction amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Roseville students will begin classes online on September 8 with expectations to return to in-person instruction by October 12.
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“This was a very difficult decision. We were hoping the numbers of COVID cases would get better by now, but unfortunately that is not the case. Macomb County has the highest rate of positive COVID cases in southeastern Michigan and it has been this way for several weeks,” said superintendent Mark Blaszkowski in a letter to Roseville parents. “Some of you may ask why we waited so long to make this decision. It is mostly because we were optimistic that things would get better.”
Officials say the first week of school will be comprised of half days to help students become familiar with the virtual learning model.
Students who originally elected to engage in face-to-face instruction in the fall should expect to return to school on October 12 with a modified schedule, officials said.
“I want you to know that we all want things to get back to normal. We want our students to be able to come back. However, now is not the right time,” Blaszkowski wrote. “We must look at the safety and health of our students and staff first.”
The district says students will be graded based on merit, rather than a pass/fail system that was implemented in the spring.
Roseville schools are also offering a separate, online-only learning option for the entire 2020-21 school year.
The district will also continue to provide meals to students, and says multiple locations will be available for students or parents to retrieve meals.
Click here to read the full announcement from Roseville Community Schools.
A number of Michigan school districts have opted to begin the upcoming school year entirely online to protect students and faculty from COVID-19 exposure.