Van Dyke Public Schools will be closed on Friday (Dec. 9) due to too many illnesses spreading throughout the community.

Carlson Elementary is part of the Van Dyke Public Schools district, the only district in all of Macomb County that has not offered traditional face-to-face instruction yet. Most parents in the district have not asked for in-person learning yet. When students can return to in-person learning on Tuesday, March 2, nearly 60% of families will be keeping their kids at home. AdRelated: Detroit public schools to resume in-person learning on March 8Remote learning has been working for them as the small school district has been able to offer more personalized virtual learning. We’re doing this in the safest and most effective way possible,” said Piper Bognar, superintendent at Van Dyke Public Schools.

The parents, on edge the district realizing it's already cash strapped existence is going to get more so. Turns out, 15 of the buses in the district's fenced in bus yard were without their batteries. Overnight someone meticulously, taking considerable time, used bolt cutters to snip through the district's chain link fence. Yet, it's likely the thieves will take the batteries to recycling companies and receive about $15 bucks a piece. The district will weight whether to buy security cameras for its bus lot at a School Committee meeting on Monday night.