Executive Editor

While some schools – Battle Creek Area Catholic, for example – are still finalizing their COVID-19 safety protocols for the 2021-2022 school year, Pennfield, Harper Creek, Battle Creek and Lakeview are currently planning a return to in-person classes this month.

Haper Creek, Pennfield and Lakeview have released information to parents that masks will be optional at all buildings this year and required on buses by federal mandate.

But Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS) Monday night released its preparedness and response plan that requires masking for all individuals indoors at all schools in the district starting when doors open Aug. 25 based on the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Calhoun County Public Health Dept. (CCPHD).

“Current CDC guidance recommends masks for all students and staff members, regardless of vaccinations,” the district explained, “based on current local transmission levels and the CCPHD supports this reocmmendation.”

There will be no hybrid schedule for BCPS grades six through 12 and K–12 students also have the option to sign up for BCPS Virtual Academy, according to a plan summary released Monday night.

“Parents/guardians and visitors will be permitted to enter the buildings on a limited basis,” the plan states. “All individuals entering the buildings will be required to wear a mask at all times, check in and out at the front desk, practice physical distancing to the extent possible and follow other protocols put in place for building or program-specific events.”

Masks are required on buses or any school transportation, following a federal mandate, said Superintendent Kimberly Carter at the Monday night meeting

Both Lakeview and Harper Creek will again offer virtual school as an alternative to in-person learning, while Pennfield will not, Pennfield Schools Superintendent Kevin Simmons announced in a letter to parents, guardians and students recently.

Almost all of the schools plan to open their doors during the week of Aug. 23.

At Lakeview, Superintendent Blake Prewitt said he and the entire school community is excited to return to near normal but at the same time, not everything will be the same when school starts Aug. 25.

“We’re still doing lunch in the classrooms for the elementary to kind of limit their interaction with each other,” said Prewitt.

That’s because children under the age of 12 are not yet eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. “Some of the things we did last year we’re still doing, but, I think that kids and staff and parents will see things pretty close to pre-COVID.”

The 2021-2022 school year will be the third consecutive year to be impacted by the ongoing pandemic that was first declared b the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020.

On March 16, 2020, Michigan public schools were ordered closed to in-person classes as government officials responded to the emergency public health crisis.

Last year, schools were required by the state to draft and submit a COVID-19 paredness and response plan that led most to offer either hybrid and/or virtual learning options.

At Lakeview, for instance, the 2020-2021 school year had and high school students on a staggered schedule to reduce the number of people indoors while also offering virtual school.

This year, however, Prewitt and his Board of Education looked at infection rates and public health officials for guidance related to in-person learning.

“The data,” said Prewitt about why he feels confident in the in-person decision, “from here and around the country about the lack of COVID spread in schools, working with our local health department and looking at what did work in our schools in Calhoun, to stop the spread of COVID, the ability of people to get vaccinated... We ran summer school for six weeks and we didn’t have one COVID case.”

Sports programs, he said, have been functioning for several weeks this summer, too, with only one positive test result from a person outside the program.

This year at Lakeview, enrollment is expected to return to the 4,000 average with, so far, only 40 to 50 students taking the virtual school option, when school starts Aug. 25.

“Hopefully,” he said, “we will pretty much be back to pre-COVID operations, is our hope. Obviously, we’ll respond as we need to to any outbreaks or any COVID related issues in the community. Our sports are back on, our fine arts are back on, everyone’s back in the building.”

Lakeview issued a safety plan summary to parents over the weekend:

• All eligible students (over the age of 12) and staff are encouraged to get vaccinated. Vaccinations are not required for school attendance.

• Masks are optional in school.

“Following current CDC and MDHHS guidance, we highly recommend that students and staff wear masks while at school,” the summary reads. “We will not require masks unless it is required or mandated by public health authorities.”

Masks are required, however, on the bus, per current federal policy, the district reported.

• Physical distancing: “We will continue to encourage physical distancing of at least three feet to the extend possible,” the district conveyed.

• Students and staff members will be expected to conduct a daily at-home health screener.

“Sick students and staff must stay home,” the district reported. “Students demonstrating symptoms at school will be sent home.”

COVID-19 testing will not be required at Lakeview for any students nor athletes at this time and the district will continue to follow required contact tracing procedures for all communicable diseases in collaboration with the Calhoun County Public Health Department (CCPHD.)

The district also plans to continue to promote handwashing/sanitizing and covering coughs and sneezes.

“Hand sanitizer,” the district reported, “will be available in all common areas, classrooms and on buses.”

The district also will encourage ventilation and outdoor activities whenever possible.

At Pennfield where school starts Aug. 24, Simmons said the health and well being of students and staff will continue to be the district’s top priority.

All Pennfield students will return to in-person classes five days a week with no virtual option.

“However,” he said in a letter to parents, “any parent/guardian who has a concern can contact the central office regarding their concern. I may consider virtual learning on a case-to-case basis for secondary students only.”

He said all elementary virtual learning options are not available.

• “Face coverings will not be required to attend our schools for any students or staff,” he wrote. “We will respect those that choose to continue to wear facial coverings.”

• The district will not require vaccinations as a condition to attend classes in the district or to participate in sports or after-hours programming.

• The district won’t require students participating in sports or those who have not been vaccinated to be tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis or at any time.

The district, he said, will continue with upgraded cleaning protocols, with broad implementation of hand sanitizing stations, with airflow strategies and with encouraging healthy habits like handwashing, covering mouths when coughing or sneezing and with use of outdoor spaces when possible.

“With our policy of staying home sick,” he wrote, “if you have symptoms of illness until you are 24-hours free of symptoms.”

At Harper Creek Community Schools, where school starts Aug. 23: 

“Masking, COVID-19 vaccinations and COVID testing will be optional for the 2021-22 year unless required by mandate,” according to a message on the district website from Superintendent Rob Ridgeway. 

“Harper Creek Community Schools will fully cooperate with all MDHHS and Executive Orders,” he indicated. “Students and staff are encouraged to mask indoors when physical distancing cannot be maintained. 

“At this time masks are required on public transportation, including school buses and vehicles. 

“Athletic programs will continue to follow MHSAA guidelines. 

“We remain partners with the Calhoun County Health Department to keep our schools and community safe.”

At Battle Creek Public Schools, where the first day is Aug. 25, all pre-K–5 schools will continue to use cohorted classrooms, meaning that students will remain with their assigned class throughut the day.

• School officials expected Board of Education members to adopt the plan Monday night and release it to the public on Tuesday, Aug. 10.

• Grades six through 12 will continue to use physical distancing to the extent possible, the district decided, as well as assigned seatng to help limit the number of close contacts should a case arise.

• Students in grades pre-K–5 will eat breakfast and lunch in their classroom cohorts each day and for the remainder of the grades, meal times will be staggared and seating will be arranged to provide appropriate spacing between students to the extent possible.

• Extra-curricular and after school events and programming will be permitted according to CDC gathering guidance.

• Students and staff will be expected to conduct self symptom screening at home and if a school associated case is identified, the district will work with the CCPHD to do contact tracing.

• Because vaccinations are not required by the CDC nor local health department for a return to school, the district is also not requiring students and staff be vaccinated.

• The board did not vote on the plan because it had previously voted to continually follow the guidance of the CDC and health department.

On Aug. 3, the health department said:

“The Calhoun County Public Health Department fully supports and endorses this updated guidance and advises all individuals to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces and while indoors in schools,” accordign to an excerpt of its press release on the matter. “This change in guidance is due to high unvaccinated rates in Calhoun and the more contagious variant of the virus— the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant. The COVID-19 vaccines remain the most effective way to avoid severe illness and hospitalization, and death.”

The Aug. 3 press release continued: “However preliminary evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people who do become infected with the Delta variant can be infectious and can spread the virus to others. 

“These ‘breakthrough infections’ in fully vaccinated individuals are uncommon and symptoms are typically mild, but the chance for ongoing spread makes it important that we continue to take preventative measures.

“Vaccination is the best way to prevent COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and death. Masking up indoors provides an additional layer of protection to reduce the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant,” said Dr. William Nettleton, Medical Director of the Health Department. 

At Battle Creek Area Catholic Schools, the first day of school will be a half day on Aug. 17. 

“Our plan is being reviewed and will be available soon,” said spokesperson Cathy Erskine on Monday, Aug. 9.