Detroit school board reschedules meeting where it will decide on suspending in-person learning

Several high school students use pencils and calculators to complete assignments in a classroom. Light streams in from windows on the right of the photo.
Two days later, board members voted to pause in-person learning, but keep virtual instruction in learning centers until they could vote again on the issue. (Anthony Lanzilote for Chalkbeat)

The Detroit school board has rescheduled its Tuesday meeting when members will decide whether to suspend in-person learning through the end of the school year. 

You can attend the meeting virtually at 5:30 p.m. May 18 here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84691018515

In April, the board of the Detroit Public Schools Community District failed in its first attempt to suspend in-person learning for the rest of the school year. The 3-2 vote failed because the board needed at least four yes votes for it to succeed.

Two days later, board members voted to pause in-person learning, but keep virtual instruction in learning centers until they could vote again on the issue. The date to bring back in-person learning could be extended if the city’s COVID-19 infection rate hasn’t improved. 

The rate of positive cases of COVID-19 in Detroit is 12.4%. Beginning April 26, the district began weekly COVID-19 testing — using saliva tests — of students and staff who have returned to the learning centers.

“The district would continue to monitor infection rates,” Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said in April. “If they are roughly where they are now, or even slightly lower, we would make a recommendation to suspend in-person learning from the May meeting until the end of the school year.”

The district could not immediately comment on why the meeting was rescheduled but did confirm that the Tuesday meeting date posed schedule conflicts for some board members. 

The Latest

Illinois says the federal government’s plan to rescind $77 million in COVID relief funds will impact programs in 27 school districts statewide.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis proposed eliminating student population averaging for the purposes of funding schools. The idea has been criticized by district leaders.

The Education Department expects to hire between 7,000 and 9,000 new educators.

This year, charter schools are serving about 15% of public school students in Colorado.

Under the bill, school districts would have to start screening students in the 2026-27 school year.

The tentative four-year contract would raise teacher pay, add prep time for elementary school teachers, and increase recess time for students.