(Michigan City, IN) - School buildings in Michigan City are slated to reopen next month.  Students in the district have attended school virtually since the school year began.  However, school officials say the COVID-19 numbers here are low enough to make plans for reopening school buildings October 19 under a metrics system provided by the state. 

Associate superintendent, Wendell McCollum, says decisions are based on the number of people testing positive in La Porte County over the past seven days.  McCollum says another factor in the decision are surveys showing the number of parents wanting the option of sending their children to school for in-person instruction has increased from 53-percent to 68-percent. 

According to the Indiana State Department of Health, the positivity rate in LaPorte County over the past seven days is 3.7 percent. which is below the 5.9 positivity rate desired for in-person instruction to be available five days a week.