Shakopee cancels classes as Minnesota schools, colleges navigate COVID-19 surge

School districts as well as colleges and universities across Minnesota are closely monitoring the surging number of COVID-19 cases, which could push students back into periods of distance learning.

The Shakopee school district called off all classes Monday and Tuesday, effectively extending the district's Thanksgiving holiday break, because of high COVID-19 infection rates. The decision came after three classrooms in the district had to move to distance learning because of a continuing rise in cases. A handful of other classes were near the threshold for making the switch, the district said.

The goal of the move was to "address pandemic concerns and hopefully slow the rising number of COVID-19 cases in our district," according to a letter sent to Shakopee parents Thursday. District leaders will continue to monitor the case numbers and explore other schedule adjustments and mitigation efforts, the letter read.

"Our goal is to have some control over the situation and be proactive, whenever possible," it said.

The rising case counts — which have hit levels not seen since the end of 2020 — have prompted some education leaders and student groups to renew calls for students and their families to get vaccinated and to stress ongoing adherence to masking, social distancing and quarantine recommendations. Decisions about COVID-19 precautions, such as mask requirements, have been left to individual districts and proven contentious at school board meetings.

With a few exceptions, schools and campuses have largely refrained from making the switch to remote classes. Some individual schools, however, have had to do so because of widespread staff absences due to illness and quarantine.

Red Lake Schools moved to distance learning in early November because of rising infection rates. The school board has decided to continue the pause on in-person classes until at least Jan. 3.

South Washington County Schools also recently notified parents of the possibility of returning to distance learning if COVID-19 rates keep increasing. And others are discussing such moves, said Scott Croonquist, executive director of the Association of Metropolitan School Districts.

In a letter sent to Minnesota parents this week, Minnesota's Education Commissioner Heather Mueller said that no one could have predicted at the pandemic's start that COVID-19 could still be affecting classrooms by the 2021-2022 school year.

"We have learned a lot since the beginning of the pandemic, and our priorities remain the same: first, maintaining the safety, health and wellness of our students, staff and families; and second, ensuring students can stay in their classrooms for safe in-person learning," she wrote in the letter, which went on to list recommendations to help prevent COVID-19 spread in schools.

Colleges also are taking notice of the rising number of COVID-19 cases, though most have not altered their operations.

"We're certainly watching. Our positivity rate has stayed relatively low compared to the surrounding communities," said University of Minnesota spokesman Jake Ricker, who noted that the Twin Cities campus has both indoor masking and vaccine mandates.

The U's Twin Cities campus reported 54 total COVID-19 cases among students and employees this past week and a positivity rate of about 6%.

Alexandria Technical and Community College shifted all its lecture classes online Thursday due to an increase in cases on campus and in the surrounding community and will stay mostly remote through Thanksgiving. Faculty have the option of teaching labs in person over the next week, however.

"Hopefully, these strategies will slow the spread of COVID-19 on campus and allow us to finish the semester strong," Alexandria Technical and Community College President Michael Seymour wrote in an email to students.

The broader Minnesota State public college system has tallied increasing COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.

Across the system's 30 community colleges and seven universities, there were 241 new cases reported among students and employees from Nov. 10-17. A total of 230 cases were reported the week prior. Both marked high points for the semester.

Student and faculty groups pressed Minnesota State leaders to more aggressively promote vaccination during a board of trustees meeting Wednesday.

Minnesota State is not requiring that all students be vaccinated. Instead, it has required it for just those living in college-owned housing, participating in intercollegiate athletics or working internships or clinical jobs. Just 57% of students across Minnesota State's colleges and universities had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Sept. 20, according to state immunization data the system obtained.

Vaccination rates at individual schools ranged from 33% to 69%.

Student association leaders told the board of trustees Wednesday that some campuses are not punishing those who flout mask mandates, nor are they actively promoting vaccination; some campuses did not have so much as a poster to promote COVID-19 vaccinations, the students said.

Faculty and staff union leaders urged Minnesota State Chancellor Devinder Malhotra to consider a vaccination mandate for all and even suggested that colleges should move their courses online to help reduce transmission before the spring semester.

Malhotra said he heard the concerns "loud and clear" and will reassess the system's COVID-19 mitigation measures in light of rising case numbers.

"The data which is coming out is concerning," Malhotra said. "It's time for us to take a hard look, reflect, and we intend to do that."