Bloomfield schools finalize back to school plan
By Lisa Brody
The Bloomfield Hills Schools' Board of Education voted to approve full five-day in-person learning plans at their meeting on Thursday, February 25, for students in grades K-5, Wing Lake and PREP, beginning April 5.
The Wing Lake Developmental Center provides educational programming for students with special needs. Eligible students reside within the 28 public school districts in Oakland County.
PREP is a post-secondary education program operated by the district, serving young adults with developmental and physical disabilities. PREP stands for prepared, responsible, employable and productive member of the community.
Superintendent Pat Watson, in an email letter to families, said that they had heard “from almost 400 families in the past week with concerns, ideas, acclamations and questions related to changing the current structure of learning. Each and every comment was read by our board of education, members of our administrative team, and myself… Our decisions continue to be driven by science and data. We are seeing increasing evidence that, with prevention measures in place, there are low rates of COVID-19 transmission in primary and secondary school settings. This knowledge, paired with dozens of other considerations, including the mental health of our learners have led to the recommendation to return to full-in person instruction beginning April 5.”
Virtual and distance learning still remain an option for families.
Bloomfield Hills High School will begin daily at 9:35, following virtual education from 7:30 to 9 a.m., and continue until 2:30. The International Academy will begin at 7:45 each morning and end at 2:35. The middle schools will run from 8:15 to 3:05; elementaries from 9:05 to 3:55. Bloomfield Virtual will not change, beginning at 9:05 and ending at 3:55.
Wing Lake Developmental Center will start at 8:45 and go until 2:35. PREP will begin at 8 and end at 3.
Unlike a previously introduced plan, all electives and specials will take place during the school day. All students will have at least three feet of physical distance during instruction and six feet of physical distance at lunch.
