ESPANOL | HMOOB | SOOMAALI
Updated: August 24, 2021
The health and safety of MPS students, their families, and staff is of utmost importance. The guidance outlined below follows recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH): Best Practices for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools for the 2021-22 school year, which is aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As the school year progresses, MPS will continue to monitor COVID-19 rates and update health and safety practices as advised by local and national health agencies.
Distance learning is not currently required this school year in alignment with the governor and Minnesota Department of Education.
MPS students are expected to attend school in person with face coverings, which will be required for all students, staff and visitors. Everyone 12 years and older who are eligible to get vaccinated are strongly encouraged to do so. To find out where you can get a free vaccine, visit: Find Vaccine Locations.
Please note that students who must quarantine due to a close exposure to someone with COVID-19 will be able to keep up with their studies through an online learning option with their regular teachers.
Many students realized through their distance learning during the pandemic that they thrive in and prefer virtual learning. In response, MPS expanded its MPS Online School from a high school program to a formal school, now available to students from kindergarten through grade 12.
MPS Online School provides supportive, high-quality classes anywhere and is like any other school with a community of students, teachers and staff dedicated to the academic and social-emotional needs of students.
Families who choose MPS Online School should know that students lose their seats in their original community or magnet schools. However, students have the option to re-enroll in their original school at the end of the academic quarter or semester and will be placed there if seats are available. If seats are not available there, students will be placed in another school of choice, though bus transportation to that school is not guaranteed.
As of August 9, 2021, face coverings are required in all MPS buildings for all staff, students, and visitors over 2 years of age, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status. The CDC continues to require face coverings on public transportation, including school buses.
Acceptable face coverings include form-fitting face coverings, scarfs, bandanas. A face shield can be worn in addition to a face covering, but not as a replacement for a face covering.
It is recommended that students and staff who are not fully vaccinated also wear a face covering in crowded outdoor settings or during activities that involve ongoing close contact with others who may not be vaccinated.
There are some exemptions to requiring face coverings for students over the two-years old if the student has a specific medical, developmental, or behavioral condition. Families will need to talk with a licensed healthcare provider to find out if their student may be exempt from wearing a face covering. As needed, families should review and fill out the Student Face Covering Medical Exemption form (Hmong, Somali, Spanish).
Additionally, there are times when wearing a face covering is not possible. In these instances, it is important to maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet from others as much as possible.
Maintaining 3-6 feet of social distancing continues to be recommended, especially for younger students and unvaccinated people. Students younger than 15 will be discouraged from gathering together in hallways, common areas and bathrooms.
Students and staff will form small groups that stay together as much as possible throughout the day and from day to day, especially for younger students who are not yet eligible to get vaccinated (students under 12 years of age).
Small groups will maintain 6 feet of distance between each other and unnecessary mixing between groups will be limited as much as possible, such as during lunch, bathroom breaks, arrival and dismissal, free periods, recess, etc.
Due to local bus driver shortages, buses will be filled to capacity. Students will be assigned a seat to help with COVID contact tracing, as necessary. All students and adults on the bus will be required to wear a face covering during the entire ride. Bus seating will be arranged to maintain 6 feet of distance between the driver and all riders.
Buses will be disinfected regularly with special attention to high-contact surfaces. Windows and roof vents will be left open when possible to allow for as much ventilation as possible.
Maintaining 6 feet of distance between groups of students during meals is recommended. Students will eat in lunchrooms or other common areas as needed. Seating charts are also recommended.
Due to health and safety, international field trips will not be allowed. Face coverings must be worn at all times while on an MPS bus and any building that is part of a field trip visit. Maintaining 3 feet of social distancing between student groups while on the field trip is also recommended.
The 2020 guidance on athletic trips will continue to be in place. The specific guidance from the Minnesota State High School League can be found at this link.
Visitors and volunteers will be allowed in schools to support academic and other programs. All visitors and volunteers must wear face coverings in all MPS buildings and maintain social distancing of at least 3 feet.
High-touch and high-traffic areas in schools will be cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis as appropriate such as classrooms and offices, public restrooms, halls and main stairwells, drinking fountains, gym floors, and locker rooms.
Strict air quality practices will be followed with air handling systems turned on at least two hours before and after students and staff are in a school. MPS uses the highest-rated air filters available: MERV 11- 14 where possible. HEPA filters will be used in any classroom that does not have the ability to support MERV 14 air filters.
MPS has a guide for families to help them decide when they should keep their students home from in-person learning if they are feeling unwell. The guide outlines the symptoms to look for that mean students should stay home.
Families can also help schools stay open and prevent the spread of COVID-19 by doing the following:
The guide includes other important information for families:
NOTE: If your student has to quarantine due to being exposed to COVID-19, families should contact the school for lesson plans.
A dedicated space near the nurse’s office will be set aside for any student who starts to show symptoms of COVID-19. This illness room will be clearly marked and air flow from this room to other rooms will be protected with additional HEPA filters.
The student will be separated from others until they can be picked up by a parent or guardian. Transportation will be provided to any student whose parent/guardian cannot pick them up in a reasonable time.
If your student must stay home due to having COVID-19 or being in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, your student will need to stay home for 14 days to quarantine. If your student is well, but needs to quarantine, they can keep up with their coursework through distance learning. Follow these quarantine tips from the Minnesota Department of Health.
Quarantining means keeping physically separated from others. Quarantining students if they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 will depend on whether the student is fully vaccinated or not as outlined below.
Quarantining helps protect others from getting COVID and slows the spread of the virus. Quarantining provides time to see if someone has COVID-19. People with COVID-19 can infect others before they start to feel sick or may never have any symptoms of having COVID-19.
Families should call their school’s health office to let staff know your student has been told to quarantine.
Effective Oct. 15, 2021, the mandatory quarantine period is shortened from 14 to 10 days for unvaccinated staff or students who are in close contact with someone with COVID-19.
MPS is reducing the required quarantine to ensure as much in-person student learning as possible and is doing so after discussion with the health experts on our COVID-19 Regional Support Team. Current research, while done prior to the Delta variant, indicates only a one-percent risk for increased contagion as a result of this change. Additional information from the CDC can be found here about reducing quarantine length.
In some cases, the 14-day quarantine still may be required based on the number of people infected, timing and exposure risk (See: “Best Practices Recommendations for Covid-19 Prevention in Schools” and “Best Practices for Handling a Confirmed Case of COVID-19” via the Minnesota Department of Health).
This update applies to quarantines recommended on or after Oct. 15. Quarantines already enacted should continue for their full 14 days for purposes of case management.
MPS continues to require face coverings in all buildings, social distancing when possible, and strongly recommends vaccination for those who are eligible. Thank you for your support as we work together to navigate balancing student and staff safety with our need to provide students with high-quality in-person instruction.
For the latest information about our efforts to manage COVID-19 in our buildings and classrooms, please visit our COVID-19 dashboard and our Daily Home Health Screening page.
Being fully vaccinated is the best way to be protected against COVID-19. Free vaccines are available to anyone 12 years and older. Vaccines are free to everyone, no matter their immigration status. No identification or insurance is required when getting vaccinated. To find out where you can get a free vaccine, visit: Find Free Vaccine Locations.