Child Care, Meals Information During School Closures Due To Coronavirus

Press Release From Independent School District 196:

March 15, 2020

In response to an executive order from Gov. Walz regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), District 196 has canceled school beginning Monday, March 16, until Monday, March 30.

As stated in the previous message, school buildings will be open Monday, March 16 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. to allow students/families and staff to collect necessary items, such as student prescriptions, technology devices, additional bags of food and other items.

Child care will be provided by the YMCA and is available beginning Monday, March 16, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., only for the children (ages 5-12) of health care workers and emergency personnel (see list below). Transportation is not provided. This child care will be provided only at Cedar Park Elementary STEM School, 7500 Whitney Drive in Apple Valley, and Oak Ridge Elementary School of Leadership, Environmental and Health Sciences, 4350 Johnny Cake Ridge Road in Eagan. The list of employees eligible for child care is limited to the following (as determined by the state):

• Health care providers and systems, including hospitals and clinics
• Post-acute and long-term care facilities, including nursing and assisted living facilities
• Home Care workers
• Personal Care Assistants
• Ambulance/emergency
• Direct Care and Treatment
• First responders
• Firefighters
• Personnel providing correctional services
• Essential Court personnel
• Minnesota State Veterans Homes staff
• State and local public health agency employees
• MNsure Navigators
• County financial/eligibility workers
• County case managers
• Or any county staff in emergency management or health and human services

Grab-and-go meals will be available to District 196 students this week. On Monday only, students can bring home grab-and-go meals from their school. Beginning Wednesday, March 18 through Friday, March 20, grab-and-go meals will be available at sites that participate in our Summer Meals program in partnership with The Open Door Pantry:

• 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the following school sites: Cedar Park, Dakota Ridge, Echo Park, Oak Ridge and Thomas Lake;
• 11-11:30 a.m. Cinnamon Ridge Park, 4598 Slater Road, Eagan, and
• 11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Cedar Knolls mobile home community (near the pool), 12571 Garland Ave., Apple Valley.

E-learning will be implemented if necessary on or after March 30.

We will continue to communicate regularly with families as this situation evolves via our various communication channels, including text message. For the latest updates, visit our COVID-19 Information webpage.

This press release was produced by Independent School District 196. The views expressed here are the author’s own.