Kalamazoo schools to hold townhalls about reopening

The Kalamazoo Public Schools is weighing whether to reopen school buildings for in-person classes during its third and final trimester of the 2020-21 school year. Before making that decision, leaders want to hear from parents and students about their opinions on the move.

KPS will hold three virtual townhalls next week to gauge interest and comfort with plans to bring students back into the classroom.

What Happened: KPS has been holding classes entirely remotely since the beginning of the school year. The district, which operates on a trimester system, ultimately decided to stick with online schooling through its second trimester, which ends March 12.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has stated that she wants all schools in Michigan to return to in-person classes in March, but is leaving the decision up to individual districts.

What Will Happen: KPS will hold three virtual townhalls next week:

• February 2, 6-7:30pm
• February 3, 4-5:30pm
• February 4, 9-10:30am

The district is considering two options:

• Remain entirely online for the rest of the school year
• Move to a hybrid system with students attending classes in person two days per week and learning independently for the remaining three days

School leaders will present information about the two options during the townhall meetings and then get feedback from parents via an online survey afterward.

You can find more information and register for the virtual townhalls on the district’s website.