State’s schools get “green light” to open this fall
By Neal A. Shipman
Farmer Editor
After North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum closed all 175 of North Dakota’s public school districts on March 15 in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the big question on the minds of school administrators, students and parents was would schools reopen this fall.
The answer to that question came on Tuesday, July 14, when the governor, along with Kirsten Baesler, state superintendent, gave the green light for schools to reopen this fall. But that reopening is going to come with some guidelines in order to provide a safe, high-quality educational experience for all students.
“Reopening schools will be a greater challenge than was closing them,” stated Burgum during a July 14 news briefing as he outlined the state’s guidelines that will govern how public K-12 schools will reopen this fall.
“We’re entering new territory this fall with a dual purpose to focus on providing the highest-quality education for all students and safeguarding the health and safety of students, staff, families and communities,” stated Burgum. “We still have work to do, and it’s not time for us to change course. We must continue to be North Dakota Smart to keep COVID-19 in check.”