The Cook County School Board voted Thursday evening to begin the academic year for ISD 166 on a distance learning model for all students grades K – 12.

Superintendent Bill Crandall says the School Board not only took into consideration the current COVID-19 case numbers in Cook County, but what health experts are predicting could happen in the very near future as cases rise.

With the distance learning model taking effect when school begins, Crandall says families won’t have to worry about flipping back and forth between in-person or a hybrid model of learning based on COVID-19 case numbers, as they are changing weekly.

This decision comes as Minnesota continues to report a daily rise in cases.

Over the past week, three new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Cook County by the Minnesota Department of Health. The county currently has a total of six COVID-19 cases and no deaths.

Crandall says teachers and staff have been involved in recent meetings, and they believe distance learning from the start of the school year is the best option for families in Cook County.

The School Board will continue to be monitor COVID-19 cases in the county with the help of the Minnesota Department of Health, and Cook County Public Health Department.

Cook County School District will begin distance learning on Thursday, Sept. 3..

Fall Learning Plans for Lake Superior School District ISD 381

South of Cook County along Highway 61, Silver Bay and Two Harbors Schools will have a different approach for learning come September.

Crandall also serves as superintendent of the Lake Superior School District (ISD 381).

Both Silver Bay and Two Harbors Schools will start this fall with a hybrid model of learning.

For many years, ISD 381 has operated on a Monday – Thursday schedule.

Starting Sept. 8, elementary students in Silver Bay will return to class as normal Monday – Thursday for the first two weeks of school.

After the first two weeks, ISD 381 will review COVID-19 data in Lake County to see whether it’s safe to continue with in-person learning or switch to a hybrid model for elementary students as well.

Middle and high school students in Silver Bay will be broken into two groups, with middle school students reporting for in-person learning Monday and Tuesday, and high school students reporting for in-person learning Wednesday and Thursday.

Online learning will continue for two days when students are not learning in-person.

In Two Harbors, all grades will learn based on a hybrid model starting Sept. 8.

Students will be placed in either a morning group or an afternoon group for in-person learning Monday – Thursday.

The morning group will report to school in-person from 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., and the afternoon group will report to school in-person from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

When students are done with in-person learning, online learning will continue each day.

As of Friday, Aug. 14, Lake County reported 24 cases of COVID-19.