OUR COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE & EQUITY

Oak Park Schools is about Opportunity. We are committed to the Oak Park Advantage, which focuses on preparing students academically, fostering a sense of belonging, and creating long-lasting connections to our community. Our core principles are rooted in Academic Excellence and Equity in Education. Click here to learn more!

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Welcome to Oak Park Schools

Administration Building Address
13900 Granzon St. Oak Park, MI. 48237
248-336-7700

Office Hours
Monday - Friday
7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
If you need immediate assistance, please call 248-336-7700.

Please click here for the 2021-2022 School Year Calendar At-a-Glance! 

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Updated 2022 Mitigation Efforts for In-Person Learning
At Oak Park Schools, we have been working very hard to do everything that is in our control to reduce the spread and risk associated with COVID-19. As the impact of the global pandemic continues and variants mutate, it appears that we must now accept that we need to learn to navigate this “new normal” long-term, while providing high-quality educational experiences to students and keeping everyone as safe as possible. 

Two Full-Time and One Part-Time Registered Nurses on Staff: At OPS, two full-time registered nurses are on staff to support our staff, students, and families with navigating the COVID-19 pandemic with testing, contact tracing, consultation, and vaccinations. 

Enrolled in the Michigan Backpack Home Test Program Pilot: Oak Park Schools is enrolled in the Michigan Backpack Home Test Pilot: This program provides a limited number of free, at-home COVID-19 antigen tests to students and staff in Michigan’s schools during the 2021-2022 school year. This pilot program offers one more tool—in addition to in-school testing, masking, ventilation, and other strategies—to create a safer environment for students, staff, and families. More information is coming soon.

Reinforced At-Home Prescreening for Students & Staff: Please take the at-home pre-screening precautions using the Clear to Go app seriously. If you are ill or exhibiting ANY COVID-19 symptoms, please stay home. Any staff or student who comes to school ill or exhibiting symptoms will be required to immediately leave the school. 

Other questions for families to consider include:

• Have you taken a COVID-19 test and are awaiting results based on potential exposure to a known case or other high-risk exposure? If yes, your child and all household members should stay home until the results are in and negative.
• Has someone in your home tested positive for COVID-19 and I haven’t been vaccinated?  If yes, your child(ren) should be tested and quarantined for 10 days.
• Have I contacted my child’s school to inform them of a potential exposure or positive test result?  If not, please communicate to the school as soon as possible.

NOTE: Next week, the Clear to Go app will offer the option for staff* and students to upload your vaccination status.

Maximum Protection Masking for Students & Staff: At OPS, students, staff, and pre-approved visitors are required to properly wear masks over our noses and mouths regardless of our vaccination status. Five OSHA-approved N95 masks will be provided for all teachers and staff. N95 masks filter 95% of airborne particles. Triple-layered, breathable, lightweight surgical masks are available for all students. Again, if your child does not have a mask, they will be provided with a mask on the bus or at school. All school buses have masks on board for students and adults who forget to wear one to the bus stop.

Please ensure your child wears a mask to school daily. If families have access to KN95/N95 face masks or surgical masks, we are encouraging the use of those masks to limit transmission. “Double masking” has also proven to provide additional protection. Because there is a limited national supply of N95 and surgical masks, it’s critical that staff and students properly wear and care for them to limit exposure. 

Please click on the active link for a N95 Mask - How to Wear | N95 Respirator Nursing Skill Tutorial. 

Air Filtration Systems – Filter Maintenance for Classrooms & Schools: The air filters in our Winix and Bissel air purifiers, to improve indoor air quality within all classrooms, offices, and up to three in large spaces, were replaced during winter break (December 2021) by our custodial and maintenance staff.  

The unit ventilators and HVAC units in buildings are in the process of the filters being changed by a third-party company, Metro Control. Any unit working at less than capacity to ensure proper heating, cooling and airflow is being repaired by Metro Controls. We anticipate completion by January 10, 2022. 

Siemens, a high-quality HVAC company, conducted a complete audit of all controls and systems during winter break to ensure that systems are functioning properly and that assigned staff can manage these systems through our computers. 

Improved Ventilation with Windows for Classrooms: All classrooms have at least one window that allows the teacher to bring in fresh, outdoor air into classrooms. Windows that open are marked with a red dot, with the exception of the Choral Room at OPPA which requires additional maintenance to install parts/hardware that have been ordered. 

Disinfecting and Sanitizing Resources Classrooms & Buildings: All classrooms are equipped with Oxivir Disinfectant Cleaner wipes and spray, which boasts a 1-minute kill time for viruses; gloves; hand sanitizer; paper towel and tissue.

The entire school district is being disinfected utilizing the Clorox 360 Electrostatic Sprayer, including classrooms, restrooms, offices, hallways, custodial closets and offices, storage rooms, gymnasiums, cafeterias, etc. Additionally, the COVID-19 PCR Testing Room at OPHS in Room 172D was being disinfected with the Clorox 360 Electrostatic Sprayer.

Quarantine/Isolation Requirements: CDC has recently recommended a shortening of the quarantine and isolation duration. Per the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), the updated guidance is specific to the general public and does not change the current guidance recommendations for congregate settings, early childcare or K-12 settings – these settings should continue to use existing guidelines and policies regarding quarantine and isolation.

Quarantined/Isolated Students: When students are temporarily unable to attend school in-person due to an approved absence (illness, injury, isolation, quarantine, etc.) that will result in missing three (3) or more days of school, an opportunity to audit classroom instruction through live streaming will be provided by all OPS teachers.

• During this extended approved absence, students may view and/or listen to instruction.
• Teachers will provide direct instruction and interaction to the students who are in-person and welcome interaction from students who are live streaming at a time that is both convenient for the student, parent, and teacher (via Google Classroom, e-mail, teacher-student or small group Zoom, phone, etc.).

High School & Middle School Extra/Co-Curricular (Athletics & Band) Mitigation: All student-athletes will be required to wear masks on buses, at practices and during games. Student-athletes and performers are being tested weekly with an increased frequency with competition of up to 3 testing opportunities for high-contact sports, such as basketball. Spectators/fans are prohibited for the remainder of the Winter season.

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics in Oak Park Schools: Public health officials have communicated to us that staff and students getting vaccinated will allow us to return to many aspects of our pre-COVID-19 lifestyles, remain in-person and eliminate interruptions to teaching and learning.  Throughout the school year, we have offered six vaccination clinics for staff, students, families, and community. Our nurses are consistently working with our community partners to find additional vaccine clinic opportunities. NOTE: To mitigate the spread, we strongly encourage the entire OPS community to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine and booster. 

Increased COVID-19 Positive Cases Communication to Staff & Families: When positive cases have been confirmed, we will increase the frequency of communication to staff and families. 

Staffing Shortages: An educator shortage that existed prior to the pandemic has been exacerbated by COVID-19. Additionally, the recent increase in cases due to the Omicron variant has a direct impact on our instructional and operational staff. As a result, we unfortunately may have to pivot to in-person instruction with limited notice to staff and families to ensure that the efficacy of in-person instruction is not being prioritized over the physical safety and supervision of students or student health. At OPS, we exhaust all options and resources, including consolidating classes, reassigning teachers and staff to maintain in-person instruction. However, if we are unable to do so, we will have to pivot to online instruction. 

School Closure Preparation: Out of an abundance of caution, please make sure you are prepared to shift to remote learning with little notice, if we are required to close a classroom, grade level or building/school for mitigation purposes. Families will be notified of any school closures through our Blackboard email, phone, and texting systems and via local media. 

What can you do to help?To prevent serious illness, hospitalization, or death, please get yourself and/or your child(ren) vaccinated and boosted. According to the CDC, getting vaccinated is the leading public health prevention strategy. To prevent transmission, please wear a properly fitted mask over your noses and mouths and practice all the mitigation strategies. 

As previously communicated, the PCR testing in partnership with Northwest Lab at OPHS was so popular that we are temporarily pausing to allow the previous tests to be processed in a timely manner. Our hope is that PCR testing for all OPS students, staff and household family members will become available again in the coming weeks. 

Please get vaccinated, boosted and mask up, OPS!