COVID-19

Books checked out to students in our elementary schools during distance learning should be returned to designated meal distribution sites on May 14, 18, 21, or 28.

Click here for more information.

As we all know, the end of this school year has created some real challenges for all of us.  The most recent order from Governor Walz is that we finish the school year using distance learning. Our schedule allows for time at the end of May and first week of June for individual interventions with students, transitions, computer collection, and other year-end procedures.  

Additional information regarding interventions and other end of the year procedures will come directly from individual teachers and school principals.  If you have any questions, please contact the building(s) where your children attend.

OHS/ALC Seniors Only
Friday, May 29, 7:30 am-4pm: seniors & high school siblings ONLY

At the May 20 School Board Meeting the following modifications were approved to the grading system due to distance learning. We continue to put our students first and understand that distance learning may have provided some inequities and circumstances that were beyond student or family control.  We believe that providing a flexible grading system for 4th quarter accommodates these inequities while still validating the hard work that students have completed during the distance learning time.

9-12 Grading Practice
Students will receive grades of A, B, C, P or NC for 2nd Semester, 4th Quarter and year-long courses.

• A, B & C = Traditional grading and will be counted towards GPA and class rank.
• P = Pass and represents students who have met course standards. This grade will not be calculated into GPA or class rank. A student may request to substitute a P for a letter grade if they ask their teacher.

• NC = No Credit and reflects that a student did not meet course standards and will not receive credit for the class. The student will create a credit recovery plan with the teacher to gain the credit or may be required to repeat the course next school year.

6-8 Grading Practice

• All middle school courses in quarter 4 will be graded on a Pass/No Credit basis. 
• All year-long courses will be issued a cumulative year final grade based on quarters 1-3. ​​​​​​​
• All second semester elective courses will be issued a cumulative semester final grade based upon quarter 3.

K-5 Grading Practice

• Flexible grading was used to incorporate the authentic and innovative instruction during the distance learning time.  
• The academic performance level will reflect the work through 3rd quarter with progress towards 4th quarter standards completed during distance learning.
• Due to distance learning, we were unable to measure some skills and teach all of the regular content; therefore, students may receive N/A (Not Assessed).  All of these areas will be revisited next school year.

As a part of our continued efforts to feed our students, we will be providing free meals to all children ages 1-18 years old at 14 different locations throughout the community until Friday, June 5. For further details on meal pick up please see the links below.  More information will be coming regarding our food service plan over the summer.

Through Friday, June 5, we will continue to offer childcare for students in Kindergarten through age 12 for parents who are emergency and essential workers who are required to report to work per Governor Walz’s Executive Order.   The District will continue to provide school-day care free of charge; however, a change for all families is a charge for before and after school care.  Fees will be $4 for morning care and $6 for after school care.  

Child care opportunities will be extended to  ALL families for a fee of $30 per day.  Application for care can be completed at school district/community education website.  An FAQ sheet is available on the school district/community education  website to answer questions, provide contact information and further directions to enroll in child care for the remainder of the school year. Questions can be answered directly by calling our Community Education office at 507-444-7900. 

Please see this list of Tier I and Tier II  eligibility for emergency/essential employee school day child care. 

Care contracts will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis until site capacity is reached. A site capacity has been established that allows for continuing physical distancing and full utilization of available staff.

More information regarding summer care programs will be communicated with you as additional guidance becomes available from the Minnesota Department of Education.  

We received direction from the MN Department of Education in partnership with the Department of Health that states the safest way to observe graduation/commencement is for everyone to stay home. Indoor graduation ceremonies and ceremonies held outside in stadiums and football fields are not permitted. These gatherings are not considered safe at any size and will not be allowed. Full information on the state guidance can be found here. 

After seeking input from all seniors, we have planned a full day of events for the Class of 2020 and their families on Sunday, June 7.
In the morning, students and their families will have the opportunity to drive-up for a professional photo with their diploma in their cap and gown and breakfast treats. We'll have a drive-up commencement ceremony with a live broadcast through the radio on AM 1390 KRFO and FM 100.9 KOWZ at 2:00 pm.  All seniors will be honored and receive recognition from honored guests. At 9:30 pm, we will "Light the Night" for the Class of 2020. Community members can drive by Owatonna High School to see it lit up in a special way just for the Class of 2020.  Owatonna High School students and families should look for a letter containing the details about this special day.

COVID-19 is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus that has not been found in people before. Currently, there are three confirmed cases in Minnesota. Based on reports from places where it has circulated, COVID-19 presents a range of illnesses. While many cases may be mild to moderate with symptoms similar to colds and flu, some cases may be more severe. The risk of severe illness seems to be higher for older people and those with underlying health conditions. Because this is a new virus, there are still things we do not know, such as how severe the illness can be, how well it is transmitted between people, and other features of the virus. Please visit the Minnesota Department of Health website or CDC website for more information.

Student and staff health and safety is a top priority. We are monitoring developments closely and receive strong support from our partners at the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Education. Owatonna Public Schools is following the guidance of these and other state agencies. We are also receiving updates from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure our school district has the latest information. The District’s COVID-19 preparation team participates in a statewide call everyday solely about the virus and the information most valuable to schools.

We employe strategic disinfectant procedures during the influenza season. The same cleaning strategies that we use to limit influenza transmission are effective in combating COVID-19. These include frequent disinfecting of surfaces and spray/mist sanitizer machines that we can use to quickly and safely sanitize classrooms on a regular schedule. The District also has a crisis plan that includes a specific pandemic flu preparation strategy. We are currently reviewing this strategy and preparing to implement it, if necessary. This plan includes details about how we monitor any potential flu outbreak in a school building and the various action steps we will use to prevent the spread of illness. 

Right now, the most important actions people in our community can take to prevent illness are simple and effective. The Minnesota Department of Health indicates that following these basic good health practices is the most effective way to protect yourself and your family:

• Stay home if you are feeling ill, have a fever of 100 degrees or more, or are exhibiting flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover a cough. Cough or sneeze into an elbow or use a tissue and place immediately in the trash.
• Practice "social distancing" by staying at least 6 feet away from people when out in public.

Additionally, you may take this opportunity to review your family’s own emergency plans. Think about backup plans for child care if school is temporarily closed or if parents, children, or a child care provider is sick. Think about necessary items to have at home, including prescription medication (check your refill dates), and non-prescription medications, such as fever-reducing medications. 

Starting March 30, 2020, Owatonna Public Schools will be providing free meals to all children ages 1-18 years old at 14 different locations throughout the community. For further details on meal pick up please see the links below. Please note, children must be present at pick up sites to receive a meal.

Free Meal Pick Up Flyer
Bus Delivery Locations 
Owatonna Food Map 

Questions may be directed to Nutrition Services: 507-444-8616 or nutritionservices@isd761.org.

Free child care is being provided at McKinley Elementary for parents who are healthcare and emergency workers. Health precautions are in place, social distancing is being used and time for distance learning is included.

We will continue to offer childcare for students ages Kindergarten through age 12 for parents who are emergency and essential workers that are required to report to work per Governor Walz’s Executive Order.   The District will continue to provide school-day care free of charge; however, a change for all families is a charge for before and after school care.  Fees will be $4 for morning care and $6 for after school care.  Families who have been utilizing the emergency child care site will receive direct communication from the SAC Team with official notice of the change and guidelines for continuing to access Emergency Child Care.

Additionally, child care opportunities will be extended to  ALL families for a fee of $30 per day.  Application for care can be completed at school district/community education website.  An FAQ sheet is available on the school district/community education  website to answer questions, provide contact information and further directions to enroll in child care for the remainder of the school year. Questions can be answered directly by calling our Community Education office at 507-444-7900.

Please see this extensive list of Tier I and Tier II  eligibility for emergency/essential employee school day child care. 

The Minnesota Department of Education has asked Owatonna Public Schools and others around the state to prepare instructional plans that will allow meaningful, relevant learning to take place while schools are closed. Schools are expected to develop lessons utilizing a distance learning model for every level in grades PreK-8 and each graduation requirement course for grades 9-12.

The Minnesota Department of Education defines distance learning “as providing students with access to appropriate educational materials and ensuring they receive daily interaction with their licensed teacher(s).”  Distance learning is intended to limit the loss of face-to-face instructional time, due to school cancellations (for weather or other natural disasters). If school remains closed, distance learning will begin on Monday, March 30th.

During the week of March 16, our instructional staff began intense preparation for a transition to distance learning should that be required.  

As we prepare how to best implement distance learning for our students, our mission — Inspiring Excellence, Every Learner, Every Day — is in the forefront of our planning process.

The Owatonna Public School District has a limited number of free T-Mobile 4G LTE wireless hotspots devices.  A top priority is to take care of families that cannot get the internet from any local provider (such as Spectrum, CenturyLink, Jaguar, RadioLink, MN WiFi, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T) at their location as well as those that are graduating from high school this school year.  There is currently a plan being worked on that would consist of delivering materials to students via scheduled bus routes that do not have access to the internet. 

Here is a list of local internet providers.

Classroom teachers have reached out to their students to see what sort of support will be needed in case the governor declares the move to distance learning on March 30. All students/families in grades kindergarten-12th grade who were in need of a device, were issued one.

As per Governor Tim Walz's order, public schools in Minnesota began Distance Learning on Monday, March 30, 2020, and we will continue our distance learning plans for the remainder of the school year.  Per the Governor’s order, we will be using Friday, May 1 and Monday, May 4 as preparation days for our staff.  There will be no distance learning on these two days.

Distance Learning will continue to provide Early Childhood - Grade 12 students with access to appropriate educational materials and ensure they receive daily interaction with their licensed teacher(s). Please refer to the district’s detailed Distance Learning Plan, available here, https://bit.ly/ISD761-DL, and linked from our district website. If you need technology assistance, please contact our Technology Support Hotline 444-8630.

Owatonna Public Schools administration has carefully monitored the COVID-19 situation, and our district has had to make the choice to limit the spread by saving book checkout for a time when we are back in school.  In the meantime, we are happy to provide families with district purchased eBooks and other digital resources: 

K-5 Destiny Discover and other digital resources  
6-12 Destiny Discover and other digital resources   

If you have questions regarding eBooks and digital resources, please contact our media specialist, Kayla Stanton.

All after-school activities, athletic team practices and events are cancelled.  Families that have registered for a spring activity will be receiving a full refund as soon as they are processed.

We have not received any guidance as to what summer programming, offered through the school district, may be available or potential impacts.  As of right now, we are planning to offer both of these programs as originally planned. When we receive guidance from the various state agencies, we will thoughtfully craft a plan and communicate it to our students and parents.