GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — St. Paul school strike comes to an end
After a three-day strike that canceled classes in one of the biggest school district in Minnesota, St. Paul Public School teachers and the school district announced they have reached an agreement. Educators will return to work at 1:00 p.m. Friday. Students will not have class on Friday. Their return date is scheduled for Monday, March 16. According to a press release from the St. Paul Federation of Educators, the SPFE, the tentative agreement will give students some of the additional resources demanded by the striking teachers union. The Union also cites coronavirus worries as a factor in reaching an agreement. A ratification vote will be scheduled for a later date, where the full SPFE membership will decide if they want to accept the agreement, according to the press release.
Robbinsdale Area Schools are closed on Friday "out of an abundance of caution" after a parent came into contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus. The closure includes not only Friday classes, but all Adventure Club sites, early childhood and ECFE classes and events, Adult Academic Program classes, and after-school activities and practices. A parent notified school staff late Thursday night that they were in contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, according to a release from the district. The parent was in the gym at Forest Elementary Wednesday during pickup. Forest Principal Melissa Jackson contacted the Minnesota Department of Health seeking guidance, according to the district. The parent is not currently showing any symptoms and has been instructed to keep their student at home.
According to press releases issued Thursday afternoon, both the Minneapolis and St. Paul St. Patrick's Day parades have been cancelled. "Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we have been asked alongside other cities across the nation to cancel our parade to prevent further spreading of the virus," the Minneapolis St. Patrick's Day Association says on their website. The St. Paul St. Patrick's Day Association states it made the decision to pull the plug on its event after meeting with the St. Paul mayor's office, and several local health organizations including the Minnesota Department of Health. This week, the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus has led to a number of other high-profile cancellations affecting a variety of institutions from national sport leagues to local universities and events.
