Last week Governor Walz announced his plan to lift COVID-19 restrictions across the state by July 1st . Although some restrictions have been lifted related to social distancing and group size, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Safe Learning Plan—including Executive Orders 20-19, 20-82, 20-94 and 20-95—will be in full effect through the end of the 2020-21 school year. This means schools will continue following the Safe Learning Plan until the last teacher contact day is for each individual school district or charter school (for St. Louis Park Public Schools Students in Grades K-11 this is June 10). All end-of-year special events, prom and graduation will follow the Stay Safe - Entertainment Venue Guidance.
As we approach these events, it is imperative that we continue to come together as a community to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) continue to recommend…wash your hands, wear your masks, continue social distancing, and get vaccinated.
In case your student does need to quarantine, here is what you can expect from St. Louis Middle School and High School once the school receives notification of a positive COVID-19 case:
- Contact tracing will take place. This includes looking at classroom and lunchroom seating charts, bus information, and participation in sports and/or other activities.
- A school nurse or district or school administrator will call the parents/guardians/families of the students that were in close contact.
- If students that came in close contact are in class, staff will take them to the health office (or other designated area where they will not come in contact with other students) until they can be safely picked up or transported home.
- An email with further information and next steps about the quarantine will be sent to parents/guardians. Please be sure to check your email.
PLEASE NOTE: St. Louis Park Public Schools will continue to follow a 14-day quarantine period. Per the CDC and MDH, a 14-day quarantine continues to be the safest option.
There are options to reduce the quarantine period in certain situations, however, those that follow the shortened quarantine (7 or 10 days) need to stay 6 feet away from others and monitor their symptoms through day 14. With no social distancing in the elementary schools and 3 feet (when possible) in the secondary schools, this IS NOT A VIABLE OPTION IN SLP and we will continue following the 14-day quarantine protocol.
Following CDC and MDH guidance and working together, we can stop the spread of COVID-19 so that all students can participate in end-of-year events and keep our community healthy and safe.
