Short on staff because of rising coronavirus cases in their communities, school district leaders across Minnesota are making plans to close their schools.
By next month, at least 17 of the state’s 20 largest school districts will be in distance learning for middle and high school students, a Pioneer Press review found. At least 11 will be in distance learning at the elementary level.
“We know that our schools have been a relatively safe place for students to be; however, we see a dramatic increase in COVID cases from the community now spilling into our schools,” Superintendent Christine Tucci Osorio said in a letter Wednesday announcing that elementary schools in the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale district would close Nov. 30.
About 8 percent of the district’s staff learned in the first 10 days of November that they’d have to stay home because of a positive coronavirus test or coming into close contact with an infected person.
In Elk River, thousands of staff and students have had to quarantine since school began. The district’s elementary schools will switch from in-person instruction to a part-time schedule on Monday while secondary students will begin learning from home.
“When a staff member needs to quarantine and be out for 14 days or more, it’s exceedingly difficult to replace that person because our resources are stretched so thin at this time,” Superintendent Dan Bittman told families.
High case numbers already have forced three St. Cloud elementary schools to switch temporarily to distance learning. By Nov. 30, all K-5 students in the district will be in distance learning.
At the secondary level, four large districts closed their middle and high schools this week: Osseo, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan, Mounds View and Prior Lake-Savage.
Elk River, South Washington County, Eastern Carver will join them next week, and Lakeville will do so later this month.
Of the 20 largest districts, only Minnetonka, Mankato and Wayzata intend to keep their middle and high schools open next month, according to the latest plans posted online Thursday morning. Wayzata has said its high schoolers, who have a mix of partly and fully remote classes, may see more of their classes move online.
SPORTS CONTINUE
Many districts are letting their middle and high schoolers continue competing in sports, at least until state officials say otherwise.
Duluth and Bloomington are among the exceptions. In a public letter Wednesday, Bloomington’s school board lamented the decisions of neighboring school districts.
“Many school districts around us and in the greater metro area are shifting to distance learning at all grade levels, yet are choosing to continue winter sports and activities. This is creating further division in our community during an already turbulent year,” the board wrote.
The letter said some Bloomington teams have had to quarantine because of multiple coronavirus cases.
“We must continue to come together for the good of all students and families, and our community. It is a collective effort that will minimize the spread of COVID-19, so schools can reopen and our students can return to the sports and activities they love,” the board wrote.
46 NEW OUTBREAKS
New data Thursday from the Minnesota Department of Health shows 121 public and private schools this year have had outbreaks of five or more students and staff in the building while contagious.
Of those, 46 have been reported in the past week, including Cretin-Derham Hall, Lakeville North, Eagan Senior High and Park High School.
COUNTY NUMBERS
A separate weekly report out Thursday gives county-level data on new coronavirus case rates over 14 days. School leaders are expected to review that report in addition to school-level case data when deciding whether to hold in-person classes.
The report, which covers test samples collected Oct. 18-31, shows that:
- No county had fewer than 10 new cases per 10,000 residents, which means school leaders should consider teaching all students in-person every day while taking precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
- No county had new case rates of 10-20 per 10,000 residents, which suggests elementary students can go to school full-time while middle and high school students go part-time to allow for social distancing.
- Two counties, Mower and Koochiching, had 20-30 new cases per 10,000 residents, suggesting all students can go to school part-time.
- 23 counties had a new case rate over 30, allowing elementary students to attend part-time while secondary students learn from home.
- And 62 had a new case rate over 50, suggesting all K-12 students should be in distance learning.