Minnesota School Reopening Plans: Decisions So Far, Upcoming Announcements From The State’s Largest Districts

From the Minnesota Reformer:

By Rilyn Eischens
August 3, 2020

Three of Minnesota’s 10 largest school districts have announced their plans for the start of the upcoming school year — and none plan to bring students back to school full-time, at least not right away.

Two districts — Anoka-Hennepin and Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan — will begin the year with hybrid learning for all grade levels, and Minneapolis will start with distance learning. Another two have released tentative plans, pending school board approval.

Parents, students and staff in the other five can expect updates as soon as Monday night, or as late as Aug. 21.

Under Gov. Tim Walz’s executive order, school districts’ fall plans will be guided by local COVID-19 data and districts’ abilities to implement safety measures.

Districts will work with the state to determine if they can hold in-person classes full- or part-time, or if they must continue distance learning for the start of the school year. The Department of Health will consult with districts throughout the year to determine if they need to switch models, according to the state plan. Schools in areas with low transmission may choose to resume in-person teaching but are not required to. Parents can choose distance learning, even if the district is using in-person or hybrid models.

Check the table below to learn more about fall plans and upcoming announcements from the state’s 10 largest school districts.

A Flourish data visualization

The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell..