News Photo by Darby Hinkley The Alpena High School sign is seen on Wednesday at the corner of Bagley and 3rd Avenue in Alpena. Alpena Public Schools will reopen on Tuesday following over a week of closure due to the ice storm that hit Northeast Michigan starting on March 29.

ALPENA — Alpena Public Schools will be in session on Tuesday following a week of closure because of the extensive power outages from the severe ice storm that hit Northeast Michigan starting on March 29.

APS polled families in order to assess the district’s readiness for reopening, receiving 1,316 responses, according to an email sent this morning from Lee Fitzpatrick, APS director of communications.

“We received 1,316 responses — your feedback has been invaluable as we continue to assess our readiness,” Fitzpatrick said in the email. “We also recognize that many in our community are still without power and may not have been able to respond. Of those who did, 36% reported still being without power, and we understand that many more may be facing similar challenges.”

Survey results indicated the following:

45% of respondents indicated they were ready to return to school on Monday.

27% shared some concerns but felt they could return.

29% said they were not ready to return.

“Not surprisingly, 60% of those without power said they were not ready, while 88% of those with power indicated they were ready to return,” Fitzpatrick said in the email.

The district has been reviewing input from families, including suggestions for how to support students and staff.

“Much of the support mentioned — such as restoring power and water — remains outside of our control,” Fitzpatrick said in the email. “Still, we are doing everything we can within our buildings to ensure a safe, supportive, and smooth return.”

APS has been partnering with local emergency management agencies.

“You may have noticed that APS has been using social media to communicate important information to the community,” Fitzpatrick said in the email. “APS also loaned a commercial-grade generator to the county as support for their operations at the fairgrounds. Once our buildings had power restored, we were prepared to support the recovery efforts by opening some as warming facilities. Thankfully, many other organizations had opened their doors as warming shelters, and as we came online, warming shelters were being consolidated due to declining utilization.”

He added that staff will return to school today to prepare for students to return on Tuesday.

“While our facilities team has been hard at work preparing our buildings, we also need time for our staff to return, reconnect, and make final preparations before welcoming students back,” he said in the email. “That time is essential to creating the learning environment our kids deserve.”

Fitzpatrick added that food deliveries are expected today, but the time is uncertain.

“We’ve placed emergency orders to replace the food lost during the outages,” he said in the email. “While we’ve been guaranteed delivery on Monday, we have not been given a specific time.”

Bus drivers will run their routes today without students to assess road conditions and report back.

“Should food deliveries be delayed or road conditions prove unacceptable, we will adjust our plan accordingly,” Fitzpatrick said in the email.

High school students enrolled in classes at Alpena Community College should expect to receive communication from the college regarding their schedule.

Fitzpatrick applauded staff for their work in these unprecedented circumstances.

“A heartfelt thank you to our incredible staff who have already been working tirelessly this past week to get us to this point,” he said in the email. “Your dedication does not go unnoticed.”

He encouraged everyone to continue to work together to get through this time.

“As we return, let’s do so with a deep sense of grace and understanding — for ourselves and for one another,” Fitzpatrick said. “Everyone in our community has experienced this storm differently, and we will need patience and empathy as we work our way back into routine.”

He added that he understands how difficult this situation still is for those without power, as his family is still without power as well.

“Our goal is to provide a sense of normalcy for our students, staff, and families, but we know many are still facing significant challenges,” Fitzpatrick said in the email. “Parents are empowered to make the best decision for their students based on their individual circumstances.”