When they return to classes after the long Thanksgiving weekend, nearly all students in Minnesota's largest school districts — and many in smaller ones — will be logging on from home.
Rising COVID-19 case numbers and staffing shortages that pushed many schools into distance learning earlier this month have also caught up with the last few large districts that had hoped to keep their doors open, at least for hybrid instruction. On Nov. 30, elementary students in South Washington County, White Bear Lake and Prior Lake-Savage schools will move into distance learning, following earlier shifts by middle and high schools in those districts. All Wayzata schools will also move to distance learning that day, as will those in Mankato.
Minnetonka Public Schools, the last large district to move students online, will have all grade levels in distance learning starting Dec. 2.
Scott Croonquist, executive director of the Association of Metropolitan School Districts, said that while some districts haven't specified a target date for bringing students back to school buildings, most district leaders agree that it won't be until sometime in the new year.
"Some have indicated that they're thinking they won't be back until the later part of January, or early February," he said.
The shift isn't unique to Minnesota. As virus cases have surged across the country, school districts have careened in and out of distance learning, with many buildings closing their doors as the Thanksgiving holiday approached. Districts from Philadelphia to Topeka, Kan., to San Diego abruptly shelved plans to bring students back for in-person instruction. New York City public schools moved online last week, just eight weeks after bringing students back to classrooms.
With cases on the rise in nearly every corner of the country, and fears of holiday-related spikes ahead, school leaders have increasingly been talking about plans for 2021 rather than this year.
Duluth Public Schools told parents this week that students will remain in distance learning at least until the end of the first semester, which wraps up Jan. 21. Other districts said they'll assess next month whether it might be safe to bring students back after winter break, in early January.