Heat prompts some Minneapolis schools to move to distance learning

15 Mpls. schools will be online through Thursday, returning on Friday.

June 8, 2021 at 10:45AM
First grader Kevin Nielson rubbed an ice cube in his lips in his un air conditioned classroom where temperatures were in the mid 80s. Hiawatha Elementary School in Minneapolis is without air conditioning and struggled through the first day of classes with lots of bottled water, donated ice and popsicles, Monday, August 26, 2013 ] GLEN STUBBE * gstubbe@startribune.com
First-grader Kevin Nielson rubbed an ice cube on his lips in his un-air-conditioned classroom at Hiawatha Elementary in 2013. Hiawatha is one of 15 Minneapolis schools moving to distance learning during the last week of the 2020-21 school year due to a heat wave. (Glen Stubbe, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

This week's heat wave is pushing 15 Minneapolis schools, each without full air conditioning, into distance learning for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Over the past several days, Minneapolis Public Schools has been sending families reminders about the extreme heat, encouraging students to dress for the weather and bring water bottles because water fountains have been turned off to avoid possible COVID-19 transmission.

On Monday, the district announced that Bryn Mawr, Hiawatha, Kenny, Kenwood, Northrup, Lake Harriet Upper, Pratt, Sheridan and Windom elementary schools; Anthony, Anwatin and Olson middle schools; Roosevelt High School; and Heritage Academy and Field Community School would be closed to in-person learning from Tuesday through Thursday.

The schools plan to reopen on Friday — the last day of classes for the year — to allow students to bring items home and teachers to close their classrooms.

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Minneapolis Public Schools (Provided by Minneapolis schools) (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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about the writer

Mara Klecker

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Mara Klecker covers suburban K-12 education for the Star Tribune.

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