Local school districts continue to roll out their back to school plans, sharing what the learning environment will look like for students, families and teachers in the coming weeks.

In southern Michigan, the Hillsdale County Intermediate School District (HCISD) announced a delayed start to the school year to give the district additional time to provide training and secure adequate safety equipment to support in-person learning opportunities.

Many of the area school districts have smaller student counts and operate under tight budgets, making the purchase of safety and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) a challenge.

To address the financial burden facing the districts, the Hillsdale County Community Foundation (HCCF) has provided funding from its unrestricted fund to cover the cost of thermometers, hand sanitizer, sanitizing stations, cleaning supplies and masks to ensure both staff and students can return to a healthy environment.

In addition to their role as a funder, HCCF has been serving as a thought partner and convener on the school district’s return to learning task force.

Sharon Bisher, president and CEO of HCCF told CMF there are high levels of poverty in the rural community, creating challenges especially when it comes to access to high-speed and reliable internet for online learning. In any given district, 13-40% of residents don’t have access to high-speed internet and for those who do have access, affordability may be a challenge.

“We are looking at equity through a poverty lens. Not all of our students have access to high-speed internet or have the ability to return to school with proper PPE,” Bisher said. “Not every family looks the same nor has the same ability to function within these environments. Many of our families do not have adequate child care available or the ability to teach their children outside of the classroom. Many homes face the harsh realities of trauma and neglect. These vulnerable children are already dealing with a burden to show up to school in addition to all of the things that will now be asked of them. So many of our children will fall behind or be left behind without the proper support system in place.”

Bisher said with other learning opportunities paused due to the pandemic the community foundation is concerned about the impact on students.

“The ability to meet for afterschool programs, organized sports and service club opportunities are in jeopardy of being placed on hold,” Bisher said. “College fairs across the state are being canceled and many postsecondary institutions are moving to online learning. We are concerned about the ability to get students a postsecondary learning opportunity, and their ability to be successful in an online-only environment.”

HCCF will continue to work with and support HCISD as faculty and staff prepare to welcome back students after Labor Day.

Many CMF members have been working to address the digital divide and range of inequities and challenges facing students, particularly for our most vulnerable learners.

Launch Michigan has been engaging in outreach to understand and lift up the challenges and inequities facing students in the remote learning environment, digging into the experiences and recommendations from Michigan families shared through three statewide surveys and a series of focus groups.

Launch Michigan provided CMF with a preview of key takeaways from the research, which is expected to be released in full later this month. The research highlighted the issues facing students and families when it comes to the digital divide. According to Launch Michigan’s analysis, Michigan educators say more students need to connect with essential technology tools. Of the high school educators surveyed, 82% said internet access was a major issue for their students, and geographic factors appear to play a role. According to Launch Michigan, this finding was supported by parents, even the more affluent of whom reported that their students lacked sufficient access to much-needed technology about one-third of the time.

CMF will share the full scope of findings from Launch Michigan once its analysis is released later this month.

Last week the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) announced the launch of an education equity fund to help districts address technology gaps and mental health needs that have been exacerbated due to the pandemic.

The equity fund includes more than $37 million from the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. Eligible school districts can apply for funds through MDE.

Want more?

Learn about MDE’s education equity fund.