The Minnesota Senate today approved a bipartisan bill to protect students’ right to a great education at all times. The legislation, Senate File 2, authorizes local public schools to make their own decisions regarding how they conduct student instruction during a pandemic or any other emergency. 

“School districts have the power to individually close schools for weather emergencies and a number of situations,” Senator Gene Dornink (R-Hayfield) said, “It doesn’t make sense for one man in St. Paul to wield the power to close or open all schools depending on his ever-changing agenda. Our schools are full of smart leaders who are more than capable of doing the right thing for their students, and what’s right for one school may be vastly different than another. They should be the ones making decisions, not Walz.”

The bill says the governor may not use peacetime emergency powers to issue any order or to authorize the commissioner of education to alter school schedules, curtail school activities, or order schools closed. The governor may “advise and consult with school leaders regarding any action needed for emergency management purposes.”

Gov. Walz’s executive orders closing schools have been among his most questioned and controversial orders of the outbreak.

There is conclusive evidence, including research from the CDC, that schools pose minimal risk in spreading the coronavirus. A fall Reuters report that studied 191 countries also found no clear link between school reopenings and coronavirus surges. In addition, Axios looked at several studies and found schools are not Covid hotspots, and the Atlantic Magazine wrote that kids are not superspreadersand that it’s time to reopen schools. The New York Times reported on evidence that schools, especially elementary schools, are not “stoking community transmission.”

There is also agreement about the impact distance learning is having on students:

• The American Association of Pediatrics has said, “The AAP strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with the goal of having students physically present in school. The importance of in-person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020.” 
• According to the Pioneer Press, close to one-third of middle and high school students in St. Paul are reported to be failing classes
• UNICEF has warned of a ‘lost generation’ and found school closures are ineffective. “Even with the promise of a vaccine on the horizon, a new report by UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, warned that “the future of an entire generation is at risk,” with the threat to children increasing. Studies cited in the report showed “no consistent association between school reopening status and COVID-19 infection rates.
• NPR reported that there are increased reports of suicide and suicide attempts as students struggle to cope with the pandemic.
• The Sahan Journal found the pandemic has had a “devastating” impact on communities of color in St. Paul Public Schools.
• CBS reported on a U.K. education watchdog that found kids have seriously regressed due to Covid-19.