Districts piece together options for learning based on COVID cases

Luverne School Board members unanimously accepted a “Return to Learn” plan at a special Aug. 5 meeting.
The decision allows administrators to continue planning for the four learning models outlined by the state that the district could operate under for the 2020-21 school year due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
At the special meeting, administrators spent an hour explaining the 22-page draft (more pages will be added as more protocols are put into place) and gave details on what each of the four learning models — in-person, hybrid, distance learning and virtual learning — would look like in the elementary and middle-high school buildings.
Superintendent Craig Oftedahl pushed those participating in the Zoom meeting for flexible and positive attitudes leading up to the Sept. 8 opening of the 2020-21 school year.
“Throughout the course of this year we’re going to have to be extremely flexible, and we’re going to have to solve things as they show up,” he said. “We’re maybe not going to have every answer right now on the spot, but we’re going to do our best to get as many of those questions answered as we possibly can.”
Late last month the state released guidelines for school reopening based on the presence of COVID-19 cases per 10,000 residents over a 14-day period.
As a result, Luverne Schools have assembled a district incident committee who will have access to outbreak information and monitor conditions within the county on a weekly basis.
Currently, Luverne plans a five-day notification if conditions prompt a change in learning scenarios with a specific model in place for a several-weeks duration, if possible.
School districts are putting plans together for four possible learning scenarios — in-person, hybrid, distance and virtual learning.
Luverne’s “Return to Learn” plan provides an overview of how each option would be implemented. Those options are explained as follows:
 
In-person learning scenario (0-9 cases)
If Rock County can maintain zero to nine positive cases per 10,000 people in the weeks prior to the Aug. 24 deadline to report to the state which learning model Luverne will use to begin the school year, then in-person learning will take place for all 1,200 elementary and middle-high school students.
“Our hope is to be in-person,” Superintendent Oftedahl said. “That’s why it is critically important and that’s why we’re making that real hard push for everybody in our community to again follow guidelines of wearing a mask, staying socially distant, not meeting in large groups … those kinds of things which help soften that spread so we can meet in person that first day.”
Under the in-person scenario, students and staff would need to wear facemasks or face shields during the 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. instruction day. Each classroom has access to hand sanitizers and wipes. Each classroom has been reconfigured to provide for adequate social distancing.
Students will be introduced to new procedures for passing in the halls and standing in lines. Lunch periods are staggered to limit the gathering of large student groups. Stringent cleaning protocols are also being put into place.
No health screenings will take place at the schools.
Parents and students are to complete temperature checks and use common sense before sending students to school.
“We just think the task of screening our students and our employees at the door before they come in is going to be too daunting,” Oftedahl said.
 
Transportation procedures are most affected
The number of students on the district’s 70-passenger buses will be less due to social distancing guidelines. At most, each bus could transport up to 36 students, depending on the number of family members.
Administrators have communicated with families to assist the district in lowering the number of pick-up and drop-off requests in order to keep school on schedule.
“We are asking parents and encouraging parents to transport students if they are able to do so — to help us out,” Oftedahl said. “Most of those buses only have 24 seats, which means we can put only one student per seat unless they are family members.”
 
Hybrid learning models limit student numbers
Hybird learning models limit the number of students in each of the buildings on a given day in order to allow more social distancing. Luverne will have three possible hybrid learning scenarios.
Each scenario is dependent on the number of active COVID-19 cases in the county within the 14-day timeframe.
At 10-19 cases, in-person learning takes place for elementary students; hybrid learning for secondary students.
At 20-29 cases, hybrid learning will be in place for all students.
At 30-49 cases, hybrid learning for elementary students and distance learning for secondary students is the plan.
Emphasis is on keeping kindergarten through fifth-grade students in an in-person instruction model longer than middle and high school students.
“I think a lot of people recognize that (in-person) school is vitally important for a lot of reasons besides education — social emotional, mental health, being around people — all of those things are extremely critical,” Oftedahl said.
Under the hybrid plan, only half of the student body is in school for in-person instruction during a shorter (8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) school day.
Each elementary and middle-high school student is assigned to one of two groups to attend school every other day. When students are not in school, they complete assignments from home.
 
Distance learning (50+ cases)
“If we are in distance learning, that means the cases in our county have increased and are very high,” Oftedahl said.
During distance learning all students and staff are at home with instruction taking place using technology. Distance learning would be similar to the education delivery that took place the last two months of the 2019-20 school year with one exception.
“We would like to have more structure and vigor within the distance learning model,” Oftedahl said.
Under distance learning students will be provided with the necessary technology. Breakfasts and lunches will also be available to students.
 
Virtual learning is also an option
Luverne district parents received an online survey to gauge how many families will be sending their students to in-person instruction, or they can choose a virtual learning option.
School board members supported the use of a third-party company, Edmentum, to conduct the online classes for kindergarten through twelfth-grade students.
The district would pick up the cost of virtual learning, but families must stay with the program for a semester or for the entire year.
H-BC
Hills-Beaver Creek students will attend classes in school unless more than 50 new coronavirus cases are reported in 14-day period in Rock County.
Following guidelines of Minnesota’s Safe Learning Plan, administrators presented details Monday night at the school board’s regular bi-monthly meeting.
A team of administrators, teachers, the school nurse, parents and a school member spent last week adding input into how the district can administer different learning scenarios in the district of 370 students.
Possible plans include in-person, hybrid and distance learning and a virtual option for students who because of health concerns cannot participate in in-person learning.
Administrators spent 45 minutes talking about the 19-page document and how the elementary in Beaver Creek and the secondary in Hills would function under the scenarios.
“What I see echoed throughout this plan is a lot of common sense — something that seems to be missing across the country right now,” said board member Ethan Rozeboom.
“We listened to the parents who wanted to get their students back to school.”
Under H-BC’s Safe Learning Plan, secondary students will begin classes Sept. 8 and elementary students on Sept. 9 under both in-person learning and hybrid scenarios.
“Everybody is here,” said Superintendent Todd Holthaus. “The caveat is transportation.”
Due to social distancing guidelines, the number of students in each of the five 77-passenger buses is cut in half.
“We are going to make a plea to our parents to bring their kids to school, leaving the buses open for those who need it,” Holthaus said.
Depending on demand, district officials may consider staggered start times between the two buildings.
A survey sent to parents this week asked about families’ transportation needs and for them to tell school officials if their students will attend in-person classes or will opt for the district’s virtual learning option.
Board members approved the kindergarten through 12th-grade at-home learning option through Educere virtual education.
Families enrolled in Educere would continue to be H-BC students, with the district paying for a semester or a year of the online curriculum.
Because H-BC is able to meet social distancing guidelines under the hybrid-learning scenario, all students would attend school like the in-person scenario but the school day would change.
At the elementary, all grade levels have moved to the first floor. The classrooms are larger and meet social distancing guidelines.
At the high school instead of an eight-period day, students would meet in a four-period block schedule.
On odd or “blue” days students would have periods 1, 3, 5 and 7. Even or “red” days would have periods 2, 4, 6, and 8.
The same red-blue days would be used if the district had to change to a distance learning scenario, where only teachers would be at the schools and students would learn virtually at home.
For distance learning, board members supported using one distance learning platform. The K-2 classes would use Seesaw and grades 3-12 would use the Schoolboy learning management system. Zoom would continue to be the meeting platform.
While in school, students and staff must be masked, and health checks are to be completed at home before students come to school.
H-BC officials have until Aug. 24 to make a final determination of which learning model will be in place for the opening of the 2020-21 school year.