Leaders: Teachers ‘don’t want the rug ripped out as district stresses local COVID safety
With students returning for in-person classes, Brainerd Public Schools administrators stressed the importance of all community members following COVID-19 guidelines so students can stay in the building for the remainder of the year. 4:00 am, Feb. 9, 2021 ×
Baxter Elementary School Principal Tammy Stellmach dons a face shield Monday, Feb. 8, while updating school board members on how elementary staff and students are feeling about returning to in-person classes. The meeting was livestreamed via YouTube. Screenshot / Theresa Bourke
Excitement to have students back in the classroom was the overwhelming message from staff at the Brainerd School Board meeting Monday, Feb. 8, along with a plea to the public to help keep things that way.
District administrators attribute the sharp enrollment decrease to COVID-19. 6:00 am, Jan. 29, 2021 ×
Marci Lord (center), director of business services for Brainerd Public Schools, presents school board members with a revision of the 2020-21 budget during a meeting Monday, Jan. 25, livestreamed via YouTube. Screenshot / Theresa Bourke
A sharp enrollment decrease led to a 2020-21 budget revision for Brainerd Public Schools and a larger deficit than expected.
School board members approved the revision at their meeting Monday, Jan. 25, after hearing the district lost more than 300 students from the 2019-20 to 2020-21 school year, likely due largely to the effects of COVID-19.
The preliminary budget estimated a 2020-21 enrollment of 6,491.9 adjusted pupil units, based on the year-end enrollment for 2019-20. Pupil units are tied to funding and are calculated by weighting students in kindergarten through sixth grade at 1.0 and students in seventh through 12th grades at 1.
Hope raised for in-person learning as more COVID-19 vaccine becomes available for school staffers
Many staff members at schools in Brainerd, Pequot Lakes and Crosby-Ironton have either received a COVID-19 vaccine recently or are scheduled to do so. 7:27 pm, Jan. 22, 2021 ×
The state started rolling out vaccines to school districts Monday, Jan. 18, but there was a limited supply. In Crow Wing County, that meant Brainerd Public Schools qualified for 20 doses, while Pequot Lakes got six, and Crosby-Ironton got five. But later a call brought the news that more vaccine would be available. Photo illustration Metro Newspaper Service
Karen Swanhorst is an early childhood educator who hasn’t been able to do her usual home visits with families since last March.
Bringing back 5th grade: Brainerd school admins discuss in-person learning challenges
While elementary students will begin returning to the physical classroom next week, the next learning model for fifth grade students has yet to be determined. 4:00 am, Jan. 13, 2021 ×
Forestview Middle School students leave school Thursday, Oct. 29. All middle and high school students in Brainerd will begin distance learning Thursday, Nov. 5. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch
Much of the Brainerd School District’s COVID-19 update Monday, Jan. 11, centered around fifth grade students and their unique predicament.
Superintendent Laine Larson and Assistant Superintendent Heidi Hahn updated school board members on the latest developments since Gov. Tim Walz amended the state’s Safe Learning Plan, allowing schools to implement phased reopenings. The shift, he said, was due to recent research showing younger children are less likely to develop severe symptoms from COVID-19.