Several Twin Cities School Districts Move To Distance Learning
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Several Twin Cities school districts are joining Minneapolis Public Schools in temporarily shifting to distance learning due to rising COVID-19 cases and staffing shortages.
Ten districts have announced the move so far:
* Brooklyn Center Community Schools
* Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Public Schools
* Farmington Area Public Schools
* Fridley Public School District
* Minnetonka Public Schools
* Osseo Area Schools
* Richfield Public Schools
* Rochester Public Schools
* Roseville Public Schools
* Shakopee Public Schools
Students at Brooklyn Center Middle School and Brooklyn Center High School shifted to distance learning on Monday, while Early College Academy and Brooklyn Center elementary students shifted on Wednesday. The district expects to return to in-person learning on Jan. 31.
Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Public Schools will shift to distance learning for this Thursday and Friday, but the district plans to return to in-person next Tuesday.
In Farmington, grades 6-12 will have a "flexible learning day" on Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday will be district-wide flex days.
Students in the Fridley Public School District switched to distance learning on Monday. District officials have not given a possible in-person return date.
Minnetonka Public Schools says elementary school students will continue in-person learning, but middle school and high school students will move to e-learning from Friday, Jan. 14 through Friday, Jan. 21. High school students will have the opportunity to come to the school building to do on-site e-learning.
Osseo Area Schools elementary school students switched to distance learning on Tuesday, while high school students made the switch Wednesday. Students will return to the classroom on Jan. 24.
Richfield plans to go remote from the rest of this week and return next Tuesday.
Rochester Public Schools will move to distance learning next Tuesday, with the plan to return to in-person learning on Jan. 28.
Roseville will move to distance learning for two weeks starting next week. The district has also canceled school on Friday. Roseville plans to return to in-person learning Jan. 31.
And Shakopee Public Schools will also move to distance learning next Tuesday, and return to in-person learning on Jan. 28.
Health and education officials told WCCO Tuesday that Minnesotans should expect to continue to see disruptions as the more contagious Omicron variant spreads.
Minnesota's average positivity rate has now surged to 19.1%, the highest it's ever been.