Grand Rapids Public School kids go back to school tomorrow. Today, school officials put the spotlight on back to school safety. GRPS is back 100 percent in person.
“There is an energy and a buzz around going back to school on that very first day, riding the school bunch, eating lunch with your friends, and I want everyone, whether GRPS Student or someone who attends another school, to have safe school year.”
And that desire for a safe school year led the Grand Rapids Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Leadriane Roby to host a news conference today along with officials from the Grand Rapids Police Department and Dean Transportation. The goal is to remind the community that children will be back in school, 100 percent in person starting tomorrow. For GRPS that’s 15-thousand students along with two thousand staff members. Dr. Roby says it’s important to slow down and be careful on the roads.
“To make sure that you are being observant, kids sometimes cross in the middle of the street. Sometimes they don’t wait for the light to change and to make sure you’re looking out for our little ones and our big ones. Put your phones down when you’re driving so that you can be 100 percent present and looking out for folks as they’re on the road going to and from school.”
Dr. Roby says another part of staying safe includes a universal mask mandate.
“We want to make sure that all of our scholars, staff, support staff have a healthy school year, and the best way to do that as we are working our way through this pandemic is to have that extra mitigation effort of having a mask.”
Dr. Roby last week announced the mask mandate following surging new cases of COVID 19 spreading across West Michigan. Masks and mandates have been a controversial topic. You can find more on GRPS’ back to school safety at GRPS.org
