ISD 196 School Board Delays Decision To Return To In-Person Class

DAKOTA COUNTY, MN— Independent School District 196's School Board has made the decision to delay returning middle and high school students to in-person learning until at least April 19, the district announced Thursday.

The school board's decision is in response to the rise of COVID-19 cases in both the district and Dakota County as a whole, the district said.

The school board will re-examine returning to in-person learning at their April 12 meeting, the district said.

Health Services Coordinator shared data at Thursday's meeting from Dakota County and the Minnesota Department of Health which shows that the group with the largest increase in COVID-19 cases is ages 10-19, the district said.

The school board said that staff members will need to continue reviewing data, with Michael Bolsoni, director of secondary education saying that the shift to in-person learning could happen if COVID-19 case numbers continue to improve, the district said.

“We do have some new considerations that have come forward to us within the last few days,” Bolsoni said. “The quarantine effect is really hard on our staff, it’s hard on our students and it’s hard on our families. These disruptions are difficult and we are trying to enter into a learning model, make it consistent and minimize disruptions.”