Minnesota State Wire

Andover High School issued the following announcement on April 23

What has been anticipated for some time has happened: a state order to close schools through May 5 has been extended through the end of the 2019-20 school year. Distance learning programs will remain in place for students and will follow the regular school calendar through the final day of instruction for the school year, Tuesday, June 9. 

The announcement from state leaders provides time for parents/guardians and educators to plan and make decisions for the weeks ahead. Our district is grateful for relationships with various state, national, and community partners as well as with parents/guardians to navigate the challenges that accompany this unusual situation. 

Anoka-Hennepin’s first priority continues to be protecting the health and safety of students, families and the community at-large. Our schools will work closely with public health officials to make the best decisions to ensure a high level of health and safety for all. The district is also committed to doing its best to support students and those who support them during this time. Our schools are determining whether the many events on the calendar may be postponed or provided in a virtual format. Please look for communication directly from your school(s) on these. 

Anoka-Hennepin will continue to provide meals to students and school-age child care for emergency workers needing it. A variety of district and community resources are also available to families from emotional and behavioral supports to technology supports. Visit ahschools.us/COVID-19resources for details on these topics and a number of others.

It’s understood that these are challenging times for all and our district is proceeding with decisions about the future with full knowledge of the impacts they may have on our families and community. Anoka-Hennepin remains committed to staying in communication with you and maintaining strong connections through this situation.  

Thank you for your ongoing support of your student and our schools. I’m proud of our resolve and positive approach to make the best of our situation and look forward to what we can accomplish together in the future. 

David Law, superintendent

 Frequently asked questions

When does the 2019-20 school year end? 

School will end as scheduled on Tuesday, June 9 for elementary, middle and high school students. 

How will grading be done for trimester three?

Anoka-Hennepin aims to maximize student achievement during this distance learning time while also holding students harmless from a potential change in grade due to the new structure. The district is reviewing options and will communicate regarding the policy once proposals are finalized.

In the meantime, school work will continue to be assessed.

Are all activities canceled? 

Cancelations continue to remain in effect for all before- and after-school activities as well as facility rentals.

 High school spring athletics and activities follow the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) guildelines, which now state that the remainder of the season has been canceled. This includes all participation in MSHSL events including, but not limited to, practices, tryouts, scrimmages, contests and competitions as well as postseason tournaments.

What about events such as prom, graduation and other end-of-the-year celebrations? 

Future events must comply with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state guidance with regard to the number of participants and proximity. This includes all district-sponsored events including prom and commencement ceremonies along with facility rentals. Some events and recognitions have the ability to be conducted virtually using live streaming technology. Schools will share details once such events are finalized. 

Anoka-Hennepin is truly aiming to provide the best possible completion to the school year for all students.  

Does the cancelation include summer school?

The district is working with the Minnesota Department of Education on summer school programming and is currently reviewing options. Plans will be shared with families once finalized.

There are still belongings of mine at school, how do I get them?

Each school will establish a time for picking up remaining personal belongings, including medication, later this spring. Please stay tuned to your regular school communications for further directions on this. 

What about items lent from school, including Chromebooks, library books, athletic uniforms, etc.?

The high schools will hold a school drop off event for all their school and cluster elementary and middle schools (similar to the Chromebook pick up). Please return any school items, such as Chromebooks, library books, athletic uniforms, or other items during this time. 

Will fees be reimbursed? 

Yes. The Anoka-Hennepin finance department is coordinating the refund of fees. Fees paid electronically will be reimbursed in that same fashion. Fees paid by check or cash will both be paid by check and sent to parent/guardians’ homes via U.S. mail. 

• Meals: Unused lunch balances will remain in student accounts until utilized. If a refund is preferred, please reach out to the child nutrition department at staff.cnpenrollment@ahschools.us. A refund voucher is also available online. A special note, account balances can be donated to other accounts, e.g. a senior student giving their account balance to a sibling.
• Athletics and activities: Due to complexities in athletic and activity fees, a plan for each activity is being developed and will be communicated when available.   
• Parking permits: Multi-term permit holders will receive a partial refund of their fees and trimester three parking permits will be reimbursed in their entirety. 
• Adventures Plus school-age care and Community Education classes: Community Education has been contacting participants individually since school and programs were canceled in March. Participants have been able to choose to receive credits on account or refunds. Credits on account may be applied to future classes or activities through June 2021, and would help to keep Community Education stable during this unprecedented time. Anoka-Hennepin Community Education values the relationships that we have built in our communities and hopes to continue to count on the support of our communities in the future. Families with Adventures Plus child care contracts for the 2019-20 school-year will be canceled automatically, and families will not be billed for care the remainder of the school year.

 Will meals continue to be distributed? 

Meals will continue to be offered to school-age children through the end of the school year, Tuesday, June 9, as detailed at ahschools.us/COVID-19meals.

Once school concludes, meal access will be consolidated and continue. Locations for meal distribution may be different than they are now. Details will again be shared at ahschools.us/COVID-19meals.  

Will District Emergency Child Care continue? 

District Emergency Child Care will continue to be offered for Tier 1 and 2 workers as directed by the state order, which is currently until the end of the school year, Tuesday, June 9. 

What about Adventures Plus school-age care scheduled for this summer?

Adventures Plus has not yet received guidance from the state in regard to if and how schools may offer summer programming, however, our team continues to develop plans to offer summer child care dependent upon state health guidelines and direction from the Minnesota departments of education (MDE) and health (MDH), and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding COVID-19.

The Adventures Plus school-age care summer program has closed summer registration. Future program details will be shared with families who are registered for the program as the circumstances evolve.

Are other summer Community Education programs canceled?

The safety of our community is our top priority. At this time, Community Education will not offer most summer programs for youth, adults and families. Visit discovercommunityed.com or ahschools.us/COVID-19_CommEd for specific program updates. 

Community Education is currently offering programs via online platforms through Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE), preschool classes, adult learning and adult basic education (ABE). We will continue to monitor guidance from the Minnesota departments of education (MDE) and health (MDH), and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to determine if and how we can continue to offer limited online and/or outdoor programming over the summer months. 

Can students, families and community members utilize district facilities during this school closure extension? 

District facilities are closed and cannot be rented at this time. 

Any activity on school property is not district sanctioned or supervised, other than emergency child care, student meals, learning materials distribution and the operational support of these activities. 

Playgrounds, specifically, are closed entirely to the public. 

I haven’t registered my soon-to-be kindergartener for the 2020-21 school year. How do I go about doing that? Kindergarten online registration is open for the 2020-21 school year.  

Please utilize the registration information sent via U.S. mail and/or email. Families that have not received this information should reach out to acshelp@ahschools.us. Once these details are gathered, families can begin the registration process online at ahschools.us/enrollment. 

What about next school year, 2020-21?

Currently, Anoka-Hennepin is planning for in-person learning to resume next fall. This situation could change depending on direction from the State of Minnesota. The district is monitoring the situation closely in conjunction with the Minnesota departments of health and education, with the goal to finalize and communicate the plan for the start of school by late summer. 

Will students be held back or retained this fall, the 2020-21 school year?

Students will be held harmless in this new learning structure. Holding students back, known as retention, will not be administered to any student solely because of their learning or work in trimester three of this school year.

Original source can be found here.