Kalamazoo Schools Will Be Lone District in County To Stay Remote

The Kalamazoo Public Schools District has decided to finish the current 2020-2021 school year with remote learning in place for the third and final semester of the year. Trimester 3 begins on March 15 and ends June 11, the last day of school.

The announcement was made by Kalamazoo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Rita Raichoudhuri during the Feb. 11 Board of Education meeting.

“To ensure that we were methodical about our decision around transitioning to Trimester 3, we again used the weighted formula created in October before the Trimester 2 announcement. The weighted formula prioritized safety above all else. We surveyed parents and employees and reviewed research and health department data. The results of the formula indicated five of the nine points supported remaining fully virtual. A majority of KPS employees and parents who responded to the survey supported the virtual option over the two-day-a-week hybrid learning model.” - Kalamazoo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Rita Raichoudhuri

Dr. Raichoudhuri, with regards to concerns that some that students are falling behind, also announced there will be an effort in place  during Trimester 3 to support students and that there are plans for large-scale summer readiness camps, set to begin on June 28.  KPS says it will create a COVID Recovery Plan over the summer to outline plans for the 2021-22 school year, which begins Aug. 30.

The KPS decision is in contrast with Governor Gretchen Whitmer's call for all schools to return to classroom learning by March 1st, because of falling grades. KPS is the only school district in the county that will remain all virtual for the remainder of the school year.

The district has been in virtual-only mode since the beginning of the pandemic. KPS is the only district in Kalamazoo County who remains in virtual mode with no plans to return to the classroom this school year.

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