Ludington schools to switch to remote learning for a week; extracurricular to continue. 

Ludington schools to switch to remote learning for a week; extracurricular to continue. 

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

LUDINGTON — The Ludington Area School District Board of Education voted 6-1, during a special meeting Monday, April 12, to suspend in-person learning from Tuesday, April 13 through Monday, April 19, returning Tuesday, April 20, unless the board of education decides differently during its regular meeting on April 19. 

Board member Josh Snyder voted against the item with yes votes from Steve Carlson, Bret Autrey, Michael Nagle, Stephanie Reed, Scott Foster, and Leona Ashley. 

“This decision is as a result of significant staffing shortages created by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Superintendent Jason Kennedy said. “Individual school buildings will be in communication with families to assist them in picking up iPads or other materials that are needed for learning this week.”

The board, however, voted 6-1 to deny pausing extracurricular activities and athletics over the next week. Voting against the items was Nagle. 

“This means that these activities will continue, as long as mitigation measures such as antigen testing in athletics, and all other COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan measures are implemented,” Kennedy stated. 

“Please know that we understand the impact that these decisions have on our families, but that we are working to do our best to balance the need to provide a high quality educational experience, while providing social, emotional, and mental health supports to students and staff, in addition to protecting the safety, health, and well being of our students, staff, and greater school community.”

From April 5 to today, LASD has 24 active positive COVID-19 cases; 186 close contact quarantined students; 11 professional staff members are either positive, quarantined or out providing care to their own children who have bene quarantined; additional staff members are also quarantined or out providing care to their own children who have been quarantined; three positive COVID-19 cases involving bus drivers; at least one student and one professional staff member awaiting COVID-19 test results. 

Mason County Central and Mason County Eastern remain open. 

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