Questions remain for parents after Governor Walz's announcement on fall classes

Parents waiting for school districts to announce learning plans

Now that reopening schools is in the hands of Minnesota school districts, parents are waiting for school leaders to announce whether students will be learning in-person or remotely.

(FOX 9) - Many parents are still in the same boat as they were before the announcement as they wait for their school districts to announce their individual plans.

The plans laid out by the governor allows districts to decide how to move forward with the school year. Many districts were waiting to make or finalize plans until the governor’s announcement. With just over a month before many schools are back in session, most districts haven’t yet shared back-to-school-plans with parents.

“[I’m] very nervous. My anxiety is kind of heightening a little bit,” Lauren, who has a daughter going into first grade in the Anoka-Hennepin school district said.

She says her family will adapt to whatever the district decides. She says they would be better prepared for distance learning after having experienced it in the spring. She also understands how important socialization is for her daughter, Norah, as she starts her academic career, but understands the risks associated with getting back in the classroom.

“There’s always that concern but I think the schools will get a good grasp on it moving into it but I think they have a lot to think about as well,” Lauren said.

Latrina Cladwell, the mother of an 11th grader at Park Center High School, in the Osseo Area School District, says she and her family have made the decision not to let their student go back to school, partially because she has underlying health conditions like asthma.

“Our health is more important. My daughter was not all the way happy about my decision. She wants to be with her friends but her health is more important to me at this point,” Cladwell said.

Cladwell says she’s also concerned about her daughter getting sick at school, passing COVID19 along to her and her family, who could then potentially spread the virus to other vulnerable people.

“I am all for education and our kids continuing to learn and be the best they can be but I’m more concerned about the health,” Cladwell said.

Holly Locher has two 5th graders and one 7th grader going into the New Prague School District. She says she’s glad Governor Walz’s plan allows for flexibility among different regions of the state, especially since her family’s district is more rural than the Metro Area.

“I think it allows school districts, families, parents, administrators to have a lot of say in what’s happening in their community,” Locher said.

She says she’s hoping her district decides on a hybrid model that allows kids to spend some time in the classroom while also limiting the number of students in school buildings at any given time.

“We’ve talked about this extensively, my husband and I, about what are we comfortable with. What is going to happen with masking protocol? Or number of days? Or busing,” Locher said.

Many parents say the waiting game continues but they’re hoping for answers soon, so they can start making arrangements.