Students and parents could breathe a sigh of relief Monday as word came out that the Ely School District would stay the course with its present learning models, upon the advice of county and state public health officials, for the time being.
That news came in the wake of rising COVID-19 numbers in St. Louis County and across Minnesota, and a jump in biweekly case counts in Greater St. Louis County that would otherwise have prompted the district to make further shifts away from in-person learning.
But school board members this week revised the district’s restart blueprint, and wisely so, to incorporate more data into the district’s decision making process.
When it comes to deciding learning models for public schools, the last few months have shown that it’s not a simple, black-or-white decision.
Instead, there are more than a few shades of grey.