MN state officials to announce K-12 academic year plans by late July

A marquee at a school reads "Be safe out there, rhinos. We miss you."
A pedestrian walks past a sign with encouraging words outside Justice Page Middle School on Thursday, April 16 in Minneapolis.
Christine T. Nguyen | MPR News

Schools will get guidance from officials on how to plan for the upcoming academic year by late July. That’s according to a statement released by the Minnesota Department of Education on Monday.

“We know that fall planning is already underway in your districts and schools, and guidance from MDE is needed,” Wendy Hatch, MDE spokesperson wrote.

Schools need months to hire staff, register students and plan for all the details of starting the 2020-2021 school year. But state officials say they will not release guidance on what form the upcoming academic year will take until the week of July 27. 

At the moment, officials have told districts and charters to plan for three possible scenarios in the fall: 

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

1) All children return to school buildings and in-person classes.

2) No children return to school buildings for in-person classes. Instead, all students will engage in distance learning.

3) Employ a hybrid of these two options with both in-person classes and distance learning. 

This week, the Education Department is expected to issue guidance to district and charter schools on how to plan for the three possible scenarios.