DEARBORN — The Dearborn School Board of Education will be conducting a special study session on August 6 at 1 p.m. to discuss the three possible options recommended by the district’s Reopen Committee for a return to school.

The meeting will be held at the Administrative Service Center, 18700 Audette. Indoor gatherings in Michigan are limited to 10 people, so the public can view the meeting via a live stream on the district’s website, (www.dearbornschools.org), YouTube channel (youtube.com/dpscommdept) and on cable channel 19 (Comcast) and channel 15 (WOW). 

There are three recommended options on the table for the Dearborn school district

Community members can submit comments via a Google Form between 8 a.m. and 1:10 p.m. that day. The form can be found at https://bit.ly/DbnEdStudySession8-6-20.

The board will discuss the three possible options recommended by the Dearborn Public Schools Reopen Committee for a return to school:

Option 1: 

Begin the school year fully online for all students with face-to-face learning labs available for social-emotional and academic assistance. Details on the scheduling, staffing and availability of learning labs will be determined if the board approves this option.

If the board were to approve this option the district would only be making a commitment for online learning until Oct. 1. Depending on several factors, including but not limited to local and state health conditions throughout the months of August and September; CDC guidelines; Wayne County Health Department recommendations and the current orders from Lansing, the district would re-evaluate the plan to determine the feasibility of changing the mode of instruction (full in-person, online or a blended model that combines both). 

Option 2: 

Begin the school year blended (partial online and partial in-person) for elementary students and 100 percent online for secondary students, with learning labs available for social-emotional and academic assistance available to middle and high school students. 

Option 3: 

The third recommendation is to begin the school year blended (partial online and partial in-person) for elementary and secondary students. Note that given the current state requirements for schools to hold in-person instruction during Phase 4 of the state’s plan, traditional transportation services may be an issue for this option. 

The board will officially vote on one of these three or a modified recommendation on Aug. 10 at the Henry Ford College Board of Education meeting. As required by Governor Whitmer’s “Return to School Roadmap” a Board of Education-approved plan will be sent to Wayne County RESA and then to the Michigan Department of Education. 

The deadline for state approval is August 17. Whitmer’s Roadmap provided a framework for the work done by the Dearborn Reopening Committee.

Any school reopen plan is subject to change at any time pending the local COVID-19 crisis and any new executive orders issued by Whitmer. If Michigan moves to Phase 1, 2 or 3, the district must implement full online instruction as ordered by the governor. If the state is in Phases 4 through 6 the district could allow for in-person instruction, but would still need to follow government requirements and recommendations. 

The Reopen Committee was co-chaired by Dearborn Federation of Teachers President Jane Mazza, Association of Dearborn Schools Administrators President David Higgins and Executive Director of Staff and Student Services Maysam Alie-Bazzi.

“As educators, we believe that it is best for students to have in-person instruction in front of professional teachers,” Superintendent Glenn Maleyko said in a statement. “However, the health and safety of students, staff and the community must be a priority when implementing any plan moving forward.”