Bessemer students return to class

By CHARITY SMITH

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Bessemer — All fourth grade students were able to return to school on Thursday after a student in question tested negative for COVID-19.

Students in one of the two fourth grade cohorts, along with their teacher and siblings, were sent home by the district after a student became ill with symptoms that could have potentially been COVID-19. Students in the elementary school are kept in cohort classes where they only interact with each-other and are isolated from other groups. As such, students are able to take their masks off while in the classroom, which puts them more at risk if one of the students should fall ill.

Dan Niemi, superintendent of Bessemer Area Schools, said that it was done as a precaution to make sure their students and staff were safe.

“I don’t want to have a pandemic in our school system,” he said. “We don’t want this running rapid and to spiral to Ironwood, Wakefield, Erwin, etc.”

The school followed protocol and notified the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department, who Niemi said told him that they had gone above and beyond what was necessary.