Governor Walz Scheduled to Make Announcement on School Reopening Plans

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz is expected to announce guidance for school districts to reopen in the fall today as the coronavirus has accelerated statewide in recent weeks.

State health and education officials last month asked school districts to prepare for three scenarios: in-person learning for all students, distance learning as in the spring, or a hybrid learning scenario with social distancing and capacity limits.

Walz and state education officials have indicated districts are likely to have discretion within the guidance. It comes as President Donald Trump has pressed schools nationwide to open for in-person learning, and as many teachers have expressed fears of doing so. Education Minnesota, the state teachers’ union, last week released a survey with just one in five teachers supporting in-person learning.

Administrators for Minneapolis Public Schools, one of the largest districts in the state, said Tuesday they plan to start the school year Sept. 8 with distance learning. Their plan would require remote learning as the primary method of instruction, though buildings would remain open for tutoring, technology and mental health support for students and families.

Walz ordered Minnesota public and charter schools to close and switch to distance learning in mid-March as COVID-19 cases began to appear in the state, affecting nearly 900,000 students and their families. As the number of coronavirus cases in Minnesota grew, the governor extended the closure through the school year and prohibited large-scale high school and college graduation ceremonies.

The press conference that will provide guidance for schools reopening plans is set to begin at 2 p.m.