LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – The Grand Ledge Board of Education met on Wednesday to discuss whether or not they should follow the state legislature’s encouragement to increase in-person schooling hours starting Monday, or follow the CDC’s suggestion of waiting until April 12.
“This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made on the school board,” said Grand Ledge Board of Education President Sara Clark Pierson.
The board decided to pass the motion of attending a minimum of 20 hours beginning next week, which also comes with a roughly $1.3 million incentive.
“I can tell you I don’t think the board was motivated so much by that as they were by parents who need their kids to see each other,” said Pierson.
“School is school. Both my children need to be at school,” said Grand Ledge parent Alexandra Campbell.
Alexandra Campbell has two kids who are a part of the Grand Ledge school district. She says even with the increased four hours a week, it still isn’t enough.
“When we were doing the online he would refuse to do online, because he’d rather be there with his teacher and his friends instead of on an iPad. He can’t learn virtually. Neither of them can learn virtually,” said Campbell.
“Our hospitalizations are going down in Eaton County and the vaccinations are a big deal,” said Pierson.
As someone who had a hard time making a decision on which way to vote, Pierson says the decrease of cases and increase of vaccinations brought her peace in voting for more face-to-face learning.
“They are effective and they will make a big difference. Our staff and teachers were given the opportunity to get vaccinated and in a few weeks we’ll be opening up the vaccine to people over 16 in the state,” said Pierson.
With hope on the horizon, Pierson is not looking back.
“It has been quite a year. It’s been a year for this country I don’t ever want to see again,” said Pierson.
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