Breaking news … HPS delays return to school as COVID cases surge

By Charles Sercombe
Once again, the return to in-person classroom learning in the Hamtramck Public School District has been postponed.
The district made the announcement on Friday, April 9 – the day after The Review went to press — in a letter to HPS families that students will not be returning as planned to school on Monday, April 12.
Instead, all students in kindergarten through 12th grade will return to school on April 19 – although if the number of COVID cases continue to surge that could change.
Michigan is experiencing one of the highest number of COVID cases in the nation as new strains of the virus emerge.
The district based its decision on a recommendation by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who called on districts to voluntarily continue remote learning.
In a message on the district’s Facebook page, Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed said, “We greatly apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and are committed to making a safe and gradual transition back to in-person learning.”
Parents can still opt to not have their children return to in-classroom learning.
Ahmed said that student assessments, which measure what students have learned in the course of the school year, will go forward, despite her objections.
“As COVID numbers continue to rise, I believe all students deserve to have greater focus on social, emotional learning and that mandated assessments are not a true reflection of our community,” Ahmed said in the district’s notice to parents.
Posted April 10. 2021