Yes.  All students in grades Kindergarten-12 will be required to wear a face-covering while on school district transportation vehicles and while inside the school buildings.  Please see the "Mn Statewide Masking Mandate (Executive Order 20-81)" below for more details.

NO.  Neither the school nor the teachers will be testing students for COVID-19.  We will be relying on families to self-monitor their health and keep students home if ill.  We will be providing information and resources regarding self-assessments.  Please contact your primary healthcare provider with any questions regarding your family's health.

Students who develop symptoms during the school day will have their parents/guardians notified and will be sent home if necessary.  Families should then contact their primary healthcare provider with questions regarding symptoms.

Yes.  Families with students in in-person learning are able to transition to Virtual Learning should their circumstances change. Building principals will work with families to make this transition.  

Virtual Learning can also be used as a way of keeping students current with schoolwork should they need to quarantine at some point. This would be a short-term solution to help keep them up-to-date until they are able to return to the classroom.

What we ultimately do not want to experience is families choosing to move back and forth between the options.  Please contact your building principals for discussions and help in making these decisions.

No.  Families who choose Virtual Learning do not have to stay in it for the entire school year.  We are asking those who feel this is the best option for them to commit for the quarter/trimester as it directly affects class schedules and the number of students in each.  Building principals will work with families to make the transition back into the classrooms.

On Saturday, July 25th Executive Order 20-81 went into effect requiring Minnesotans to wear a face-covering in indoor public settings.  

All students in grades K-12, staff, and visitors are required to wear a face-covering while inside the school buildings and riding school transportation vehicles.

Types of allowable face coverings include:

• Paper or disposable mask
• Cloth face mask
• Scarf
• Bandanna
• Religious face covering 

The covering should cover the nose and mouth completely, should not be overly tight or restrictive, and should feel comfortable to wear. A face covering is not meant to substitute for social distancing, but is especially important in situations when maintaining a 6-foot distance is not possible.

A face shield (a clear plastic barrier that covers the face) allows visibility of facial expressions and lip movements for speech perception and may be used as an alternative to a face covering in the following situations:

• By teachers (all grades), when wearing a face covering may impede the educational process.
• For staff, students, or visitors who cannot tolerate a face covering due to a developmental, medical, or behavioral health condition.

For optimal protection, the face shield should extend below the chin anteriorly, to the ears laterally, and there should be no exposed gap between the forehead and the shield’s headpiece.

Face coverings may be temporarily removed while:

• Eating or drinking
• During indoor practices such as singing or playing musical instruments
• While engaging in physical activities where the level of exertion makes it difficult
• During classes or activities held outdoors

Families who do not support their students wearing face coverings, according to the above parameters should choose Virtual Learning, for their students.  

Dear DC Families,

Earlier this summer MN school districts were instructed to plan for three potential scenarios (In-person, Hybrid, and Distance Learning).  We expected the Governor to make a decision about which to use and announce it on July 30th.  We were prepared to receive that decision and communicate with families about returning to school.  During yesterday's news conference, Governor Walz announced that the opening of schools will depend on the spread of the COVID-19 virus at the county and school levels.  In Executive Order 20-82 and the Safe Learning Plan 2020-21 additional parameters were provided for each of the three scenarios (In-person, Hybrid, and Distance Learning).  

What does this mean?  

As a district, we are partnering with Mn Department of Education, Mn Department of Health and local public health officials to determine the learning scenario best suited for our communities. Being split between two counties that have vastly different COVID-19 levels, we need some time to work with these partners, evaluate localized data, and determine the best course of action.  In addition, it will take some time for us to incorporate the additional requirements, provided by the state, into our current plans and procedures.

We understand your need for answers and frustration, we feel it too.  We are working as quickly as we can to coordinate with our partners, update our plans accordingly, and provide families with much-needed information.  We are committed to providing answers to the many questions you must have.  Please email communications@dc.k12.mn.us and we will do our best with the information we have.  We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding.  Together, we will succeed.  Stay tuned for more.

Sincerely,

Jeff Powers
Superintendent