Today, Governor Walz announced his decision on school reopening for the state of Minnesota. Senate Republicans have encouraged the Governor to allow local districts to decide the best way to safely educate students this school year, and not issue statewide mandates or decisions. The announcement today from Walz rolled out a complex set of guidelines for school reopening. Senator Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) released the following statement in response:

“This decision should be left in the hands of local leaders and teachers. We trust them to care for our kids every day, and we can trust them now to safely school our children. Governor Walz’s announcement today does not improve clarity or direction. School districts are still left with uncertainty as the Governor’s plan leaves room for confusion as COVID cases fluctuate.

“He has put unworkable caveats in place such as including prison COVID cases to determine whether or not schools have to close. Combining those numbers with the rest of Sherburne County residents really skews the numbers. Prisoners are not out amongst our residents and should not be counted as if they are.

“I am writing to Gov Walz to ask him to change that method. I hope he sees the common sense of the change. I will let you know as this progresses.”