By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


The Fowlerville Community Schools Board of Education has approved the district’s COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan.

The plan is required of all districts in the state by executive order, laying out what the school year will look like depending on which phase of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Safe Start Plan the district is in at any given time. With an August 15th deadline looming, the Fowlerville Board of Education held a special online meeting, Tuesday, to consider approval of their latest draft. Roughly 320 people logged in to the meeting, many choosing to speak during public comment. And while the previous couple meetings featured largely vocal support for delaying in-person instruction by staff, Tuesday’s meeting was more balanced with many parents speaking in favor of a return to classrooms.

Families have two pathways to choose from this coming year: a modified traditional pathway and a remote pathway. In the modified traditional pathway, students will attend class Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday class will still be held, but remotely. Students can transition to all-remote learning at any time. One change that was made since the last meeting was that remote-only students now have opportunities roughly every 2 weeks to return to in-person learning, should they choose.

In the current phase, phase 4, all students must wear facial coverings in common areas and during transportation. Secondary students will be required to wear them in classes. Another change was made since last week that now requires K-5 students to wear facial coverings when working in small group instruction.

According to the plan, frequently touched surfaces will be cleaned at the end of every day with an EPA-approved disinfectant. Student desks will be wiped down with a similar disinfectant after each class. The report states that teachers will mist the desks with the solution, and after 5 minutes students will take a provided-paper towel and dry the surface.

The Board of Education unanimously approved the plan. Superintendent Wayne Roedel told participants in the Zoom meeting though that this doesn’t mean they won’t keep working on it. He said there is still time to tweak and change the plan as they move forward. Roedel said they will continue to work with groups in the district, like the FEA, to make it the best plan possible.

To help give teachers more time to prepare for the year and its changes, the first day of school for students was pushed from August 31st to September 2nd. A copy of the district’s preparedness plan can be found in the agenda packet, linked below.