This week, Eden Prairie Schools will announce its decision on how Eden Prairie Schools will return to school in the fall. Gov. Tim Walz announced on July 30 that Minnesota school districts use data on rates of COVID-19 cases in their county to make local decisions. School districts are expected to adjust how they deliver education throughout the school year based on this data.
Later today, the School Board will hear the district administration’s plans for this school year, including a recommendation to return on Aug. 31 in a hybrid model. This recommendation is based on district planning and on Minnesota’s Safe Learning Plan. Eden Prairie Schools’ plan was reviewed by public health officials before submitting this recommendation to the board.
Eden Prairie Schools’ proposed hybrid model would have kindergarten and grade 1 students returning to school in person Monday through Friday in a socially distanced environment. Students in grades 2-12 would return in an A/B cohort model. In this design, 50 percent of students would attend school on campus on Monday and Tuesday (group A);Â the other 50 percent would attend school on campus on Wednesday and Thursday (group B). Friday is a virtual learning day for grades 2-12, which will include live, real-time online connections with teachers. As much as possible, students from the same family would be assigned to the same group.
For families that want a full-time online school, Eden Prairie Schools is proud to offer EP Online, our K-12 online school. This option has been available for several years for select high school courses and it is now available districtwide. You can register now for EP Online.
The administration’s recommendation follows planning that was started before the end of the 2019-20 school year with family surveys about experiences with distance learning. Additional surveys about hybrid learning models have been conducted this summer. A 70-member team of teachers, and school and district leaders has met throughout this summer to discuss implementation of in-person and hybrid models. Bringing students back to our schools requires additional social distance requirements and plans to meet the various needs of our learners.
A detailed administrative report is included in the School Board’s information for tonight’s meeting.
The School Board will meet at 6 p.m. at Eden Prairie High School's Performing Arts Center with social distance between board members and district administration. Social distance and face coverings will be required for attendees of this meeting. We encourage interested members of our community to watch the live stream on YouTube.
The School Board will decide on this recommendation either tonight or on Aug. 13.
Review this infographic for an overview of how Eden Prairie Schools is prepared for this coming school year.