Distance learning has begun at Milroy Public School, after two planning days (Nov. 30 and Dec. 1). The decision was made as a response to projected increases throughout the community and Redwood County, Supt. Heidi Sachariason said in an email to the Tracy Area Headlight Herald.
Sachariason said the recommended policy at the beginning of the school year has been to consider the implementation of distance learning when case rate ranges are above 50 per 10,000 people in the county. Case ranges were at 178.07 for Nov. 1-14 in Redwood County and were projected to be 237.25 between Nov. 8-21.
“We are also seeing more positive cases with students and staff,” said Sachariason.
Since the time the decision was made to go to distance learning, Milroy Public School had three grade levels that would need to move to distance learning due to staffing for 24 days for unrelated exposures outside of school.
“We were working to be proactive with our families to allow a smoother transition for students and time to plan for families during a time of such uncertainty,” Sachariason said. “As more staff are needing to move into quarantine and numbers in the community continue to climb, it appears we made the decision to move toward distance learning with time to plan, but would have been forced to make this decision regardless.”
She added that the school will re-evaluate the distance learning scenario and communicate with families again during the week of Dec. 28.
For now, distance learning will be in play through at least the rest of the month, leading into Milroy’s winter break, which begins Dec. 24. In-person learning could potentially resume on Monday, Jan. 4, when school resumes.