Minnesota Department Of Education Announces Safe Learning Plan For Schools

Press release from South Washington County Schools:

July 30, 2020

Today, Governor Walz and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) set thresholds for schools to reopen safely. The state’s fall school plan is based on a formula that uses COVID-19 infection rates over 14 days in our county (Washington County) as a deciding factor.

Under this plan, school districts have flexibility in selecting the scenario that works best for their community – in-person learning at school, distance learning at home or hybrid learning which is typically seen as a combination of both. Based on the state’s recommendations and if the first day of school was held today, elementary school students (K-5) could attend school in-person, and secondary school students (6-12) could be in a hybrid model. If COVID-19 cases increase or decrease, we may need to shift to a different educational scenario based on the state’s guidelines. School districts also have the ability to be more restrictive than the state’s guidelines.

The Next Steps for South Washington County Schools

We do not have all the answers today. Since mid-June our planning teams have been working through logistics for all three scenarios established by MDE – in-person learning, distance learning and hybrid learning. Hybrid learning is the most complicated scenario that requires 50% capacity in school buildings, 50% capacity for bus transportation, social distancing of six feet at all times and sufficient staffing levels.

Our planning and leadership teams will spend the weekend reviewing and comparing the state’s recommendations to our draft plans and will make revisions as needed. We anticipate sharing a final recommendation to our school board during a special board meeting on Monday, Aug. 3 at 6:30 p.m. Once approved, we will communicate our initial plans to help staff and families prepare for the new school year, with a final plan to come in the days ahead.

MDE Recommendation Based on 14-day Case Rate Range

The data the model uses is the number of cases by county over 14 days per 10,000 people. Our school district is in Washington County. The bi-weekly case rate for Washington County from July 5-18 shows a 14.84 case rate, resulting in the recommendation of in-person learning for elementary students and hybrid learning for secondary students.*

Number of cases per 10,000 over 14 days, by county of residence

Recommended Learning Model

0-9

In-person learning for all students

10-19*

In-person learning for elementary students; hybrid learning for secondary students

20-29

Hybrid learning for all students

30-49

Hybrid learning for elementary students; distance learning for secondary students

50+

Distance learning for all students

Timeline

We know that the state’s decision this late in the summer puts a significant burden on schools, teachers and families. This is especially true as you work to plan for child care. We know you have questions, but the district, schools and principals will not be able to respond to specific concerns until we review all of the state’s guidance to see how it fits within our system. Please know that we are working as quickly as possible to provide a detailed and thorough plan for the start of the school year.

Our main priority is the health and safety of students and staff with the ultimate goal of in-person learning as much as possible. We also know that even if we do everything right in our schools, COVID-19 is still a risk. We need our community’s help to pull through this so our students can once again create lasting memories at school.

By working together, we can help create a successful school year for each student placed in our care.

This press release was produced by South Washington County Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.