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To prosper, Michigan must be a more educated place. Bridge will explore the challenges in education and identify policies and initiatives that address them.
Articles
COVID outbreaks in Michigan schools rise 25 percent in a week
There are outbreaks in 84 Michigan schools in 31 counties, and college cases top 5,000, says a state report released Monday.
Michigan college freshman enrollment drops amid COVID. Will they return?
Michigan’s public universities and community colleges report thousands fewer college freshmen, echoing national trends. Studies show that many students who do not go directly to college never enroll.
Cheer the MSU Spartans! At home. Preferably alone. Welcome to COVID game day
College football is back. Game Day celebrations, not so much. Michigan State University’s president is discouraging fans from gathering to watch the opening game.
Coronavirus cases surpass 5,000 in Michigan schools, colleges
Cases on college campuses continue to rise, but the good news is that K-12 schools continue to have few COVID-19 infections. Parents also can now get faster disclosure of coronavirus cases in their local schools.
Michigan re-orders schools to disclose COVID cases after Supreme Court ruling
The administration of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is moving quickly to reinstate a school coronavirus reporting mandate that was struck down Friday by the state’s high court.
COVID masks can still be required in Michigan schools, despite ruling
How does Friday’s Supreme Court ruling upending Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency power authority impact coronavirus mandates in Michigan schools? We answer some of your major questions.
Michigan schools still struggle with public disclosure of COVID cases
How much you’ll learn about coronavirus cases in your student’s school depends on where you live. A Bridge Michigan analysis shows parents still can’t depend on schools or local health departments to voluntarily alert them to outbreaks.
A rural Michigan district has 15 COVID cases, one death, and few answers
Health officials say the school followed safety protocols, and the cases that suddenly proliferated in Carson City show how a coronavirus outbreak can happen anywhere. The district has ended in-person classes.
COVID outbreaks spiking in Michigan K-12 schools and colleges
The number of K-12 schools with coronavirus outbreaks jumped from 28 to 46 schools in just a week. And there are now over 3,800 confirmed cases at colleges and universities across Michigan, numbers that are likely an undercount.
Michigan Tech, Houghton County move to online learning amid COVID
COVID-19 cases have quintupled in Houghton County in the western Upper Peninsula this month. The halt to in-person learning is scheduled to extend to Oct. 12.
MSU, U-M, Wayne State presidents: Don’t expect in-person classes until fall 2021
College students better keep recharging their laptops. Classes are likely to remain online rather than in-person for the full 2020-21 academic year at the University of Michigan, Wayne State and Michigan State.
Michigan State, U-M change reporting to disclose more campus COVID cases
The number of coronavirus cases on the Michigan State University website since Aug. 24 jumped to 1,219 Thursday, two days after Ingham County health officer Linda Vail noted the website was significantly undercounting MSU-related cases. U-M boosts its reporting too.
Child care centers provided young students a safe place to learn online. Michigan said no.
The coronavirus child care crunch is falling hardest on low-income families of color, many of whom work in-person jobs in sanitation, grocery, and health care that the state has defined as “essential.” When these families have young students learning online, many parents find that they have no safe place to send their children during the work day.
MSU called out on COVID cases, and warned football game may be at risk
Ingham County health officer Linda Vail said Michigan State has more than double the number of coronavirus cases listed on the school’s website. She said if case counts don’t drop, she would advise MSU to call off its opening game against Rutgers.
COVID triples in Michigan K-12 schools, rises 60% at colleges in a week
There is a surge in cases in K-12 schools and on college campuses, but, so far, there’s no sign of increased hospitalizations.
How do Michigan universities compare on COVID outbreaks? Hard to tell
The University of Michigan counts COVID tests it administers on its website, but leaves out testing performed by county health officials. Disparate testing plans from school to school make it difficult to compare coronavirus spread across campuses.
Coronavirus outbreaks force mandatory quarantine at 23 MSU frats, sororities
Saying an upswing in COVID cases is “quickly becoming a crisis,” Ingham County health officer orders lockdown on 30 frats, sororities and other big homes. The mandatory order comes after the health department recommended voluntary quarantines for some 38K students.
How a few coronavirus cases ended classes at a rural Michigan school
For every student that tested positive, there were dozens of friends or classmates found to be in close contact with them, sidelining them from the classroom as well.
State identifies Michigan K-12 schools and colleges with COVID outbreaks
The public can now see what K-12 schools and colleges in the state have coronavirus outbreaks, thanks to new state reporting championed by Bridge Michigan and other media outlets. There are now more than 1,300 college cases.
Officials urge 38,000 MSU students to quarantine 14 days after COVID spike
Ingham County says 342 people linked to MSU tested positive for COVID. County health officials say off-campus parties contribute to the rise and warn that its recommendation will become an order if case increases continue.