WINONA, Minn. – There will be no in-class instruction at the Winona Middle School for the next three weeks at least, Superintendent Annette Freiheit announced. A spike in Winona County COVID infections promoted the decision, she said. Also, she said, too many teachers are out in quarantine. Freiheit had been holding out for a mix of in-class and online learning, but data showed the hybrid model—some days in class, some days online — could no longer be reasonably sustained. The switch applies to grades 5 through 8. Don’t be surprised, she said, if the total online switch is extended to other grades soon. The Middle School switch begins Wednesday, with Tuesday set aside for teachers to adjust. Meanwhile, until November 30, all middle school athletics and activities will be on hold.
Earlier: Schools monitoring state COVID data
Verbatim
Freiheit’s letter to Middle School parents: “While this change is for the middle school only, there is always the possibility that other buildings will have to make a similar shift, or the entire district will need to move into distance learning. We want to give our students an opportunity for in-person learning as long as possible, but the number of students and staff in quarantine, along with signs of spread in the middle school, left us with no choice.”