Keweenaw Report Your Source for Local News and Sports
At a Friday morning press conference, Governor Gretchen Whitmer asked all school districts and youth sports programs to voluntarily suspend in-person activities for two weeks. No area districts have come out in favor of that idea. Houghton-Portage Township Superintendent Doreen Kramer says that cases are not widespread enough in the area to justify a change in course. Regarding team sports, the district is already complying with required COVID-19 testing for student-athletes. In the past week, zero positive cases have been uncovered.
Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw Superintendent Chris Davidson provides similar sentiments via email. “The CLK Board of Education and I have no intentions of going along with Governor Whitmer’s request for a voluntary two-week pause to in-person learning and athletics. Based on the current status of COVID rates in the local community and CLK Schools, we do not see the need to take a pause. We have been very fortunate with the long stretch of time that we have been able to sustain in-person instruction and we intend to continue this for the remainder of the school year, so long as conditions allow. As always, CLK Schools will continue to monitor the local and school impact of COVID-19 to determine the best option for educating our students.”
Hancock’s Steve Patchin provided an update to all students and parents in the district Friday afternoon stating there are no plans to alter in-person instruction. “Our CCISD and area districts have been in constant contact with our local health departments and hospitals, while also monitoring our students and families in the community. Hancock Public Schools have seen a slight uptick in cases in our area, but still are not experiencing a spread of the virus within our buildings. We credit this to our mitigation strategies and increased air flow within our buildings, as well as the support of our students and their families in adhering to these protocols.
“Hancock Public Schools will continue to operate both our in-person instructional operations as well as our spring athletic programs in grades K-12.”
A COVID update for the Copper Country will be available late Friday.
