BISMARCK, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Governor Burgum, with State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler, provided updated guidance to K-12 school districts after the governor ordered schools closed this week to slow the spread of COVID-19 and allow school districts to plan for educating their students in the event of an extended COVID-19 pandemic.
K-12 schools will remain closed to students until further notice, with access for essential staff only.
Burgum announced he plans to issue an executive order next week allowing age-appropriate, distance learning to count toward instructional hours. Districts will have until March 27 to submit their plans for resuming instruction with alternative methods and until April 1 to implement the plans and continue to receive state aid payments. Schools that are unable to resume instruction on April 1 must extend their academic school year in order to receive state aid payments for those instructional hours.
Burgum said he will waive all instructional hours for the period from March 23-March 31, meaning schools do not have to reschedule that time. Burgum also waived instructional hours this week, for a total of 12 days waived. These waivers ensure that districts will be able to pay teachers and hourly employees such as paraprofessionals, bus drivers, custodians, food service and other staff through this closure.
An update on the District plan for COVID-19 at Valley City Public Schools. To provide continued opportunities to plan and prepare for distance learning at Valley City Public Schools, we are extending our SCHOOL CLOSURE thru Friday, April 3rd and will be continuing with distance learning during this time. Valley City Public Schools will submit our alternative learning plan to DPI on or before Friday, March 27th. Approval of this plan will allow us to extend the school closure without having to make up these days at the end of the school year.
Valley City Superintendent Josh Johnson delivered this statement during the press conference describing how his district and others have prepared to resume instruction to students using alternative delivery methods including online delivery.