Gov. Tim Walz will speak at noon on his plan to reopen secondary school buildings. Watch here:
Updated 10:30 a.m.
Minnesota school districts will be able to reopen their middle and high school buildings to students starting Feb. 22 under a plan Gov. Tim Walz will lay out at noon.
Students in those schools would be allowed to return to classrooms for hybrid or in-person learning with the expectation that all schools will offer some form of in-person learning by March 8.
In a statement, the governor cited Minnesota’s progress in vaccinating people along with the improving pandemic metrics made the decision possible.
According to his office, nearly 25 percent of teachers have been vaccinated so far and school staff next week will have access to more than 18,000 vaccine doses at state vaccine sites.
“Families who do not feel comfortable sending their students for in-person or hybrid learning may still choose a distance learning option for their student,” Walz’s office added.
The updated rules come days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released COVID-19 protocols for schools, and nearly two months after Walz put out an amended road map to get the state’s youngest learners back to in-person classes.
Last week, Walz said he wanted all Minnesota students back in classrooms as soon as possible, but said he would not set a date requiring the return of in-person learning.
"It will be in conjunction with our local leaders. It will be individual circumstance,” Walz said while visiting a Roseville grade school on Friday. “I do think we're well-positioned. We're further along in in-person learning than most places, and I think this is just a way to make sure we don't end up with an outbreak."
Under current state guidance, middle and high school leaders must consult with local public health officials on county case rates of COVID-19 before choosing an in-person, distance or hybrid learning scenario for their students.
Public elementary schools are no longer required to consult with local health officials or use county case rate data before deciding whether or not to offer an in-person option for their students but must follow safety precautions.
New federal guidelines also instruct school leaders to look at regional COVID-19 spread when determining whether to open schools for in-person learning. The CDC recommends layering safety protocols such as masking, social distancing, hand-washing and ventilation. It also urges middle and high schools in communities where viral transmission is high to remain in distance learning unless mitigation measures are “strictly” implemented.
In recent weeks, Walz has prioritized school staff for COVID-19 vaccinations; Minnesota is just one of 28 states to do so. He has also directed schools to offer on-site COVID-19 testing for their staff. According to Walz spokesperson Teddy Tschann, 96 percent of Minnesota districts are participating in the testing program.
Republican state lawmakers have urged Walz to ease up on restrictions and allow more schools to reopen. Sen. Carla Nelson, R-Rochester, in a recent emailed statement threw her support behind a bill seeking to limit Walz’s peacetime emergency authority to close schools.
“There is widespread agreement about the importance of getting students back into the classroom,” Nelson wrote. “The decision on how and when to reopen should not be made from the governor’s office. It should come from local school boards and community leaders.”
Minnesota school administrative leaders have said the bill is not necessary.
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Walz OK's Feb. 22 reopening of middle, high school buildings to students - Minnesota Public Radio News
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