As of September 4, the K-12 enrollment at I.S.D. 166 was 383.
That’s down “about 40 or 50 kids” from last year at this time, reports Assistant Principal PK-12 Mitch Dorr.
“We have had parents pull their kids out for online school, homeschooling, charter schools, etc.,” said Dorr.
Some parents began searching for a new place to educate their kid’s following the I.S.D. 166 school board’s announcement that K-12 classes would feature distance learning to start the year. That decision by the school board came in the wake of the governor’s July 30 Executive Order 20-82 to implement Minnesota’s Safe Learning Plan for the 2020 school year.
Using strictly COVID- 19 case counts, Cook County was one of 47 counties in the state whose school board had the option of allowing kids to go back to school for in-person learning to start the year. However, the school board held three long meetings in quick succession and agonized over its decision before selecting distance learning with a plan to revaluate that decision at mid-quarter.
The loss of 40 to 50 kids will result in a big drop in expected revenue for the school district. When asked how much money I.S.D. 166 gets per pupil, the school district’s financial officer, Lori Backlund replied, “The average that I came up with recently was roughly $15,000 per student. You are correct that different grades and kids generate different revenue.”
If there are no COVID- 19 cases or only a few coronavirus cases in the county by mid-quarter, the I.S.D. 166 school board may choose to move to an in-person or hybrid model. However, if and when the kids go back to school, everything could revert to distance learning if kids or teachers/staff become infected with COVID-19.
Despite the drop-off in students, I.S.D. 166 was a busy place last week.
Parents and caregivers were busy picking up chrome books and school materials for their kids on September 3 and 4. Online meetings were held with parents, students, and teachers over several days last week as well.
Students enrolled at I.S.D. 166 began school online on September 8 and this year there will be a strong emphasis with kids reporting in at the start of the day and throughout the day.
Kids must check in at 8:07 a.m. and attend class until 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Monday is also a school day with online attendance required, but there are no classes scheduled. It is a workday where kids can receive help from their teachers if needed.
The Governor’s plan
The Safe Learning Plan uses localized, data-driven information that allows school districts and charter schools to operate in “a learning model that is responsive to the prevalence of COVID-19 cases in their community.”
Safe learning for all of the state’s students is prioritized in the plan, including giving school districts and charter schools the option to choose distance learning for their students no matter which learning model was chosen.
Some kids will attend school in-person. Charter schools and school districts who opted for the hybrid or distance learning plan like I.S.D. 166 did must provide care for children 12 and under whose parents (or caregivers) are listed as Tier 1 critical care workers under executive order 20-82. The care must be provided at no cost to the parents listed as Tier 1 workers.
Regardless of which learning model was selected, charter schools and school districts must provide meals to students during the school day to the extent possible, utilizing all waivers and flexibilities provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Once kids get back into the classrooms they will be provided with facemasks, as will the staff, and social distancing will be practiced throughout the day.
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