Minneapolis School Board Approves Plan To Extend School Year Following Teachers Strike

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minneapolis School Board approved Tuesday a plan to extend the school year into late June so that students can make up class missed during the weekslong teachers strike.

During a business meeting, which was interrupted by students and activists who were in opposition to the measure, the school board passed the plan to extend the school year.

Details of the plan are:

-- Beginning April 11, 42 minutes will be added to the end of each school day for the remainder of the year
-- For all schools, the 2021-2022 school calendar will go until June 24, with some of the makeup days having a digital learning option

'The Students Are The Real Losers Here': Lost Class Time During Strike Means Longer School Year

Students in the Minneapolis district missed 14 days of class when educators went on strike earlier this month.

The strike ended over the weekend when educators ratified a new contract, which included higher wages, smaller class sizes, more mental health support for students and staff, significant pay increased for education support professionals, and additional protections for teachers of color.

The strike started on March 8. Students returned to the classroom Tuesday.