Updated at 11:12 a.m. Monday
Shakopee Public Schools officials announced Sunday that due to quickly rising covid-19 case rates in Scott County, all K-12 schools will begin full-time distance learning effective Monday, Nov. 23.
Students in the IHD learning model will attend school Monday and Tuesday this week followed by three days off before starting distance learning on Nov. 23.
The fast-tracked timeline is due in part to staffing levels and the number of students and staff in quarantine due to close contact with infected individuals. According to the district, there are 436 close contacts identified so far from the week of Nov. 9-15, and that number is likely to increase as data for the weekend is compiled. The prior week, there were 254 close contacts of infected individuals.
According to district spokeswoman Crystal McNally, these 436 quarantined individuals include people who are staying home because they have possible covid-19 symptoms, close contacts of confirmed cases, and people awaiting test results for themselves or a family member.
At a school board meeting on Nov. 9, Superintendent Mike Redmond reported there had been 80 confirmed covid-19 cases in students and staff since the beginning of the school year. As of Nov. 15, that number is up to 120.
For more information about the timeline and changing circumstances, visit the district’s website. The following information is also according to the school district for students in the IHD program:
Elementary Schools (Red Oak, Eagle Creek, Sun Path, Sweeney, Jackson)
- Hybrid B – onsite Monday, November 16
- Hybrid A – onsite Tuesday, November 17
- No school for students November 18, 19 and 20 (staff preparation days for transition to distance learning)
- Distance learning begins Monday, November 23
Secondary Schools (East, West, Shakopee High School)
- Hybrid B – onsite Monday, November 16
- Hybrid A – onsite Tuesday, November 17
- No school for students November 18, 19 and 20 (staff preparation days for transition to distance learning)
- Distance learning begins Monday, November 23
Tokata ALC
- Hybrid B – onsite Monday, November 16
- Hybrid A – onsite Tuesday, November 17
- No school for students November 18, 19 and 20 (staff preparation days for transition to future learning model)
- Onsite learning suspended from November 23 through December 22, 2020
Programs at Pearson Early Learning Center
- Onsite programs continue through Friday, November 20
- No school for students November 23, 24 and 30 (staff preparation days for transition to future learning models)
- Onsite learning suspended from December 1 through December 11
- More information on Pearson/YMCA child care will be shared on Monday with families
Minnesota Department of Education recommends full-time distance learning for secondary students in counties with more than 30 cases per 10,000 residents, and full-time distance learning for elementary students in counties with more than 50 cases per 10,000 cases.
MDE’s data lags by two weeks, so its latest report on Nov. 12 is for the two-week period of Oct. 18-31. In that time period, Scott County had a rate of 60.75 cases per 10,000 residents.
Shakopee school administrators monitor the unofficial case count per 10,000 residents by dividing the number of Scott County cases for two weeks divided by 149,013, which is the county population. According to this formula, Scott County is sitting at about 122 cases per 10,000 for the two-week period of Nov. 1-14.
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