The Bemidji School Board discussed at length the possibility of changing the district’s quarantine guidelines but no formal action on them passed the floor. Board member Jeff Haack initially offered up a motion to change all instances of a 10 or 14-day quarantine to a 7-day, weighing the COVID risks compared to the high incidence…
Bagley Superintendent Erich Heiss announced today that after a special meeting this morning, the Bagley School Board voted to continue in-person learning. On Monday, Heiss announced that the Bagley School Board would meet today to consider a recommendation from the Clearwater County Nursing Service to switch to distance learning for two weeks. The recommendation came…
Bagley Superintendent Erich Heiss reported Clearwater County’s COVID-19 case rate is in the 90s, and public health officials there recommended distance learning for 14 days. The Bagley School Board, according to a notice, took no action during a meeting Monday night but will discuss the recommendation this Friday. Heiss wrote that “while masks and vaccinations…
The Bemidji School Board met for their regular meeting Monday night. Superintendent Tim Lutz says that as of last Friday, Beltrami County’s COVID-19 case rate per 10,000 people was 68.55, a number that is considered a high rate of transmission. Lutz said that once Beltrami County’s case rate gets to the moderate level, less than…
The Bemidji School Board will hear an operating referendum update during their meeting this evening. The school board’s referendum last year failed by a considerable margin. The existing operating referendum for the district is $180 per pupil. On Nov. 2, the district will ask voters to increase that to $460 per pupil. The Bemidji School…
The Bemidji School Board voted 5-1 for a universal masking requirement to start this school year. All students, staff and visitors will be required to wear masks while inside school buildings. The crowded meeting proceeded with several reminders to the galley for quiet. One galley member was asked to leave and she did comply. Many…
The Bemidji School Board will hold a special meeting Wednesday. Last week, the board adjourned their meeting early before an impassioned crowd. The meeting will be held in the District Board Room starting at 4 p.m., with a half-hour public participation period. The board is then anticipated to vote on “health and safety measures” for…
The Bemidji School Board adjourned their meeting before voting on any masking policy for this school year. Several members of the public spoke against any mask requirements, claiming that mask use and lockdowns were detrimental to students’ well-being. Business Director Jordan Hickman said new quarantine guidelines from MDH say that if an infected student and…
Featured photo of Jan Malcolm, MDH Commissioner. State health officials are recommending all students, teachers and staff wear masks while indoors at school this fall. The CDC guidelines say all people 12 and older should get vaccinated for COVID-19, masks should be worn inside school buildings regardless of vaccination status, and those who are not…
The Bemidji School District will go forward with a referendum election. This would be a special election, and all voters within the district will receive a notification, according to district staffer Krissi Fenner. Fenner said the district receives about 60 percent of its revenue from the state, 4 percent from the federal government, and the…
