St. Cloud Sun

Gov. Tim Walz announced back-to-school plans for the 2020-21 school year last week much to the chagrin of parents, teachers and school administrators. 

While some decisions will be left to each individual school board, many will need to be made in collaboration with the state. 

“Local districts have power over initial plans, but past that, the state will work off of unclear guidelines to decide their fate," Sen. Torrey Westrom said in a release on the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus website. "Gov. Walz still has full control and the education commissioner can veto local decisions at any time."

The Department of Health will be monitoring local COVID-19 cases. If the averages over a two-week period reach a certain level, statewide distance learning may again be enforced. The metrics for potential closures were not made clear in the announcement and some parents, educators and administrators are upset at the lack of clarity. 

“These guidelines were a long time coming, but I don’t see a clear path forward for the state right now. Safe classroom education is essential, as are other areas of our economy and daily lives. The threat of closure, with little explanation for schools that choose in-person education, could lead to extreme instability for our kids,” Westrom said.

The return to school will look much different than what students and educators are used to. Schools will have mandatory mask and social distancing guidelines to follow.