WHEREAS the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 1,528,235 confirmed cases and 91,664 deaths nationwide, as of Wednesday, May 20;
WHEREAS the pandemic has resulted in 53,009 confirmed cases and 5,060 deaths in Michigan, as of Wednesday, May 20;
WHEREAS Michigan’s first positive COVID-19 cases were on March 10, 2020;
WHEREAS, in response, the Governor announced school closures two days later on March 12, and a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order on March 23, among many other efforts to address this public health emergency;
WHEREAS the public health emergency has had adverse economic and educational impacts on states across the country and on countries across the world, especially on those states and countries with significant numbers of individuals who have gotten sick from and/or died from the virus;
WHEREAS no state with significant numbers of individuals who have gotten sick from and/or died from the virus can address the attendant effects without federal support;
WHEREAS Congress has acknowledged this fact with the passage of coronavirus relief bills in the last two months;
WHEREAS these bills, now law, while helpful and appreciated, are insufficient to shield our children and families from profound harm;
AND WHEREAS no child asked to grow up in a pandemic and to the absolute extent possible no child should be harmed in his or her education by the fact that he or she did grow up in part during a pandemic;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Hemlock Public School District Board of Education does hereby urge the Michigan State Legislature and the Michigan Congressional delegation to support—actively, individually, and collectively—a bill to preserve educational services to Michigan school children that have been threatened as a result of this pandemic; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hemlock Public School District Board of Education urges members of the state education community to share their related thoughts with members of the Michigan State Legislature and with members of the Michigan Congressional delegation and to urge their national associations to share similarly with members of Congress.
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