MOORHEAD, MN (KFGO) – Citing an increase in Covid-19 cases in Clay County, Moorhead High School will switch to distance learning later this month. The change goes into effect Sept. 28.
The county case rate is now at 36.78. State health department guidelines recommend distance learning for case rates of more than 30.
Superintendent Brandon Lunak says there are fewer than 10 staff and students who have tested positive while others are in quarantine due to out-of-school exposure. Lunak says transitioning a week from Monday will give the district time to get students ready for the change.
Students in pre-kindergarten through 8th grade will continue in the hybrid model.
–
Message from Moorhead Area Public Schools Superintendent Brandon Lunak:
Dear MAPS Families,
As we near the end of the second week of school, we are more aware than ever of the fluid nature of this year. We’ve experienced the most unique first weeks of school probably in the history of Moorhead Area Public Schools.
Amidst that joy, COVID-19 cases are on the rise in our community and that impacts us. In a continued effort to keep our students safe, our Incident Command Team has made the decision to transition Moorhead High School to distance learning starting Monday, September 28. Students in PreK through Grade 8 will continue in the hybrid model.
The Clay County case rate more than doubled for the second week in a row and is now at 36.78. Rates are updated weekly on our Return to Learn website. Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) guidance recommends distance learning in secondary grades for case rates over 30.
At this point, we have less than 10 staff or students across the district who have tested positive. Additional staff and students are in quarantine due to an out of school exposure.
While we can keep students safe through small cohort groups in PreK-8, the complexities of size and schedule make this difficult at the high school.
Transitioning on Sept. 28 will give us a chance to get our students ready, ensure they have the proper materials and give our high school staff time to prepare. In fact, Wednesday, September 23 will be an offsite learning day for all students at MHS to prepare. MHS families will receive more communication on the transition.
Our goal is to return MHS to a modified hybrid schedule as soon as possible and to keep our K-8 students in our buildings as much as possible.
We got clarification this week from MDE that learning model transitions are truly a local decision and the MDE guidance chart is simply suggested guidance. With that in mind, we’d like to remind you that in addition to the Clay County case rate, the MAPS Incident Command Team also reviews many other sources of data in learning model decision making including Cass county numbers, trends, districtwide staff and student illness and absence rates, staffing availability and the success of the current learning model.
Behaviors are more important than ever. The vast majority of exposures and positive cases we have experienced are happening as a result of activities after school hours. We are a Spud family and we care about each other. As a community, we can reverse the COVID uptick we are seeing and keep our kids in school by practicing good prevention behaviors.
Stay home when possible–especially while awaiting test results.
Avoid large gatherings.
Stay six feet away from others.
Wear a mask.
Wash your hands.
Conduct a home screening every day.
We recognize that change can bring stress and uncertainty. Please rest assured that although our learning model may be changing at the high school, our mission will never change. We will continue to do what we do best, to help every student to thrive in a changing world. Together we are #SpudStrong!
Sincerely,
Brandon Lunak,
Superintendent
Comments