PILLAGER — With COVID-19 cases on the rise, more and more area schools continue to announce learning model changes.
Students in fifth through 12th grades in Pillager will move to a new hybrid learning model beginning Oct. 20. The year started out with in-person learning for all, though sixth through 12th grade students began remote learning one day a week earlier in October to give staff more time to deal with various challenges. That shift was not related to COVID-19 case numbers.
The upcoming shift is, though. Superintendent Michael Malmberg said in a letter to families Monday, Oct. 12, the shift is largely due to the increase in positive cases in Crow Wing, Cass and Morrison counties and positive cases at the secondary school level, causing a large number of students to be quarantined. Cass, where Pillager is located, has seen 71 new cases in the last two weeks, while nearby Morrison has seen 170 and Crow Wing has seen nearly 200 new cases in the same time.
“Our main goal to make the transition to the ‘Hybrid Learning Model’ is to help reduce the spread of the virus amongst our students and staff and to also allow more students to be in school without being quarantined in the future,” Malmberg said in his letter. “It is also the safest 6 hours of the day for students to be in school as there are rules in place.”
Under the new model, middle and high school students will be split into two groups — A and B. Group A students will attend classes in person Mondays and Tuesdays, while distance learning the other three days. Students in group B will attend in person Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays will continue to be distance learning days for all secondary students.
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Students will be able to pick up pre-packed breakfasts and lunches for distance learning days.
“It is our hope that this change will limit a move to ‘Distance Learning’ in the future,” Malmberg concluded.
