FCS Return to In-Person Learning Update

February 4, 2022

Dear Flint Community Schools Families,

We hope that you and your family are staying safe and warm. As you know, with the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, the past month has been challenging for families, staff and schools like ours around the country. We remain grateful for your patience and flexibility as we continue to navigate the ever-changing environment brought on by COVID-19.

Since opting for distance learning following the holidays to keep our school community safe, we have closely monitored COVID-19 case rates daily across Flint and Genesee County. With the recent decline in positive COVID cases and after discussion with local health experts, we can confirm that we plan to return to in-person learning on Monday, February 7. Transportation would also resume on that date.

While we certainly hope this trajectory continues, we know this situation is fluid. As conditions change, or new COVID-19 variants emerge, we know we may have to adapt and respond accordingly to ensure the continued safety of our scholars. However, we will continue to rely on partnerships with local public health experts and the Genesee County Health Department (GCHD) to ensure we are making informed decisions based on data and their expertise. We will keep you informed of these decisions and the reasoning behind them.

To best inform our school community on the district’s safety protocols and procedures, we have developed the COVID-19 Protocols/Guidance manual, which can be found at FlintSchools.org. This guide contains the key protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and, in turn, help us provide a safe, in-person learning environment for our scholars. Additional precautions include procuring COVID-19 testing kits and face masks, exploring options to provide the highest indoor air quality in our schools and reviewing the schedules for in-school and after-school extracurricular activities.

We are relying on families to monitor for symptoms, conduct at-home COVID-19 testing, as needed, and keep scholars at home if they are sick or have any symptoms. Any scholars or staff who test positive will need to stay home and follow protocols outlined in the COVID-19 Protocols/Guidance manual. Any close contact or known exposure to COVID-19 will require periodic testing to prevent and reduce school-based transmission. Flint Community Schools staff are here to support our families, and we encourage you to reach out to your child’s principal if you have any questions or concerns.

We remain Flint-focused and hopeful that if we all work together, we can mitigate the spread. We continue to believe that face-to-face is the best way for our scholars to learn and will do what we can to offer this option safely and regularly. We are grateful for your ongoing patience and understanding as we seek to keep our school community safe. We look forward to seeing you in-person on Monday, February 7. Thank you for your ongoing dedication to your scholar’s education and to Flint Community Schools.

Sincerely,

Kevelin Jones, Superintendent