Alcona Schools to form Coronavirus task force

ALCONA, Mich. — Following Governor Gretchen Whitmer closing all public and private schools last week, students have been forced out of the classroom. Superintendent of Alcona Public Schools, Dan O’Connor, said that later this week, they will form a task force, which will focus on providing educational material for their students at home, while also taking into account that not every family has the same resources. “We’re also trying to be sensitive to the fact that a lot of our students do not have internet at home,” he said. “We’re trying to come up with some paper and pencil versions of some things as well. Obviously, we’re going to have to see where we were in two and a half to three weeks and if this is going to potentially be going on longer, which it may or may not.”

While it may be some time before kids will be able to return to school, O’Connor wants to let his students know that they are still there for them with whatever they need. “I think the big thing is that if they need help, whatever it happens to be, academic resources, maybe they need to talk to someone, some counseling because this can be a stressful time, or food,” he said. “The big thing is just to reach out. We’re still here, we’re still monitoring, we’re thinking about them, and we care about them.”

With schools closed until further notice, it’s currently unknown how students will finish their academic year.