Duluth students learning in-person this fall

Duluth students start the new school year on Sept. 7, and the district has provided an updated outline as to how things will go this fall.

Superintendent John Magas presented the learning model to the School Board at their meeting Tuesday night. Students will return for five days of in-person learning, with high schoolers given the option to learn virtually. Magas said schools will be prepared to move the younger students to virtual learning, if COVID-19 cases rise dramatically.

The district says all students, staff, and faculty will be required to wear face coverings both in the classroom and while on school transportation.

"Children under two years of age, or people of any age who are unable to tolerate face coverings because of medical conditions, health condition, or other disability will not be wearing a mask," said Superintendent Magas at Tuesday’s meeting.

Magas is confident that in-person learning is the best model for the student’s education.

"We are not health experts. But we are education experts. And what we learned during our survey work last year- during distance learning, fewer than 30% of students reported that they were comfortable with the learning model," said Magas. "I believe that it’s important for us to support mask-wearing, so that we can avoid distance learning, so we can stay in-person five days a week."

Some other changes that students and parents can expect include:

• There are no limits on group sizes, meaning school assemblies or gatherings can still happen without concerns about too many people in attendance.
• While actively playing a sport, students will not be required to wear a masks. They will have to be worn when on the sidelines, or while watching as a spectator.
• There are also looser quarantine requirements if a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19.

Click here to read the full updated packet that was distributed by the district.