EATON RAPIDS, MI (WSYM) - — Eaton Rapids Public Schools is making plans for the new school year, including anticipating some form of remote learning.
The district is planning for different phases of the MI Safe Start plan. If the state continues to be in Phase 4, the district will start the new year entirely online.
"There are some things I think we have to do better than what we did," said Bill DeFrance, Eaton Rapids Public Schools superintendent.
DeFrance is spending is summer making sure teachers and students are better prepared for remote learning in the fall than when it was rushed into place for the end of the school year.
Now with some extra money from the federal CARES Act, Eaton Rapids is able to provide enough devices to its students and teachers.
"The teachers are going to be in the position of front end loading the Chromebooks with programs for the kids. We did that on the fly last time," DeFrance said.
The goal is to make a seamless transition from in person instruction to online learning and back based on input from public health leaders.
Ingham Intermediate School District superintendent Jason Mellema said that includes adjustments in a school day.
"We've recognized and learned how long students can go in their attention spans and continue to be able to focus," Mellema said.
DeFrance said his teachers are embracing that concept heading into the fall.
"The training everyone wants to have is digital training. It's not necessarily content training. It's how you use the tools," he said.
Eaton Rapids Public Schools will also allow parents to have their child stay in distance learning.
"If a child has a compromised health condition like asthma, a parent maybe concerned about that," DeFrance said.
DeFrance expects students in Eaton Rapids to be in the buildings if the state is in phase 5 or 6 of the MI Safe Start plan.
Right now most of it is in phase four.
Six would mean a vaccine is widely available, and that probably won't happen by the time school starts.
