MARSHALL — It’s official: Marshall Public Schools will start the school year with a hybrid learning model. This means students will spend one or two days a week learning from home in order to help maintain social distancing.

Members of the Marshall School Board passed a resolution Monday directing Superintendent Jeremy Williams to implement a hybrid learning model for the start of the school year.

“It was not an easy decision,” Williams said. But he said he felt it would be a safer option for students as they return to class.

The Minnesota Department of Health recommends schools use in-person, hybrid or distance learning depending on the rate of COVID-19 cases in their county over the past two weeks. According to the most recent data from the MDH, released Aug. 13, Lyon County had 10.45 cases per 10,000 people. At that rate, the MDH recommends elementary schools hold in-person classes and middle and high schools use a hybrid learning model.

“The case numbers are going down. That’s encouraging,” Williams said. He said he would continue to monitor area COVID-19 rates, but for now the hybrid model seemed safest.

Williams and Marshall school administrators went over the details of different possible learning plans at their Aug. 3 meeting. Under the hybrid learning plan, students would need to follow health and safety guidelines for COVID-19, including wearing masks or face shields, as well as keeping a six-foot social distance inside school buildings. School buildings and buses would have reduced capacities, in order to make room for social distancing.

Under the hybrid plan, students in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade will have class in-person four days a week and distance learning one day a week. At Marshall Middle School and Marshall High School, students will have in-person learning three days a week and distance learning two days a week.

The school calendar would not change, and classes would still start the week of Sept. 8, Williams said.

Williams said if the resolution to start with a hybrid learning model passed Monday, he would start getting the word out to school faculty and staff that night, and start contacting families this week.

School board members voted to pass the resolution.

“I want to thank you for exercising a decision on the side of caution,” said board member Bill Swope.

“I realize this is tough, and I do appreciate it,” board member Sara Runchey said to Williams.

In addition to implementing hybrid learning, the resolution passed Monday also authorized the Marshall superintendent to change learning models without school board action if it’s needed and time or public health constraints prevent the school board from calling a meeting. Williams will also provide regular updates on COVID-19 planning to the school board.