Sartell schools make plans for closing schools, distance learning at emergency meeting

by Mike Knaak

editor@thenewsleaders.com

Sartell-St. Stephen school board members met with community leaders Sunday night to begin working out details on implementing the governor’s order shutting down Minnesota schools during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Sartell district, along with St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids-Rice and area Catholic schools, will close for two weeks beginning Monday, March 16.

The Sartell discussion centered on how the district will deliver district learning and how to accommodate younger students who are the children of first responders and school staff.

While many of the details will be worked out during the week, the board settled on several first steps. The actions take on more urgency, because unlike surrounding districts, Sartell-St. Stephen’s spring break begins March 23 and a plan needs to ready when break ends March 30.

The district will use the coming week to figure out a plan for distance learning that could be put in place after spring break. How long the schools will be closed and how long distance learning will be needed isn’t known.

On March 16, school leaders will settle on an agenda for the week. Tuesday through Friday administrators and teachers will work out the details of how distance learning will work.

Technology is a big part of the process and the district will be sending parents an online questionnaire. The questions will ask if families have home internet service that can support streaming, in some cases for multiple students; are parents a health-care provider or emergency responder who needs child care; do homes have the proper devices for distance learning and would you need food service for pickup or delivery?

Superintendent Jeff Schwiebert said the district has a “robust” technology backbone and that past surveys indicated about 90 percent of students have access to the internet at home.

While the schools are closed, the Kidstop services for children of emergency personnel will be provided at Pine Meadow Elementary School.

The district needs to determine the number of children of teachers and staff who will need care while their parents are at school working on the distance learning plan. During the discussion, school leaders estimated that could be as many as 70 children.

The Rev. Doug Vagle, pastor at The Waters church, offered his facility at least for Tuesday, March 17. Students will need to bring a cold lunch that day. Planners want to keep children separated in small groups to limit the potential spread of the virus.

Sartell Mayor Ryan Fitzthum raised the possibility of using the Community Center for children the rest of the week.

Here’s the staffing plan for week: 

Teachers and student teachers will report to school Tuesday through Friday to develop distance learning plans.

Paraprofessionals should not report Monday or Tuesday. On Tuesday, they will receive their assignments for the rest of the week.

Custodians should report Monday.

Transportation staff should report to the bus garage during morning shift Monday.

Clerical staff should report for work Monday through Friday.

Nursing staff will report for regular hours Tuesday through Friday.

The district has prepared a special website for coronavirus-related news: https: www.sartell.k12.mn.us/COVID19_coronavirus

“We are lucky that kids don’t get the worst part of this but they might be carriers,” Schwiebert said. “When we actually have people sick there will be another level of panic and we need to provide a level of calm.”

Stearns County Commissioner and former teacher Joe Perske said “We have never seen an emergency like this except 9/11. That was something we saw on TV. It’s uncharted territory. The best we can do is work cooperatively.”