MARSHALL — Based on county health data, Marshall Public Schools could be starting the school year using a hybrid of in-person and distance learning to help deal with the risks of COVID-19, school administrators said. For students, that could mean spending only three or four days a week at school, and the rest of the time doing distance learning.

Superintendent Jeremy Williams and MPS school principals helped lay out some of the specifics of the district’s COVID-19 response plans at Monday’s meeting of the MPS School Board.

“I do feel we have a solid framework to show you,” Williams told school board members. However, he cautioned that the plans are meant to help mitigate the risks of COVID-19 spreading in the school district — not to eliminate them completely.

Schools around Minnesota were directed to make three different plans for the coming school year: one for in-person learning, one for distance learning, and one for a “hybrid model” combining the two. Which approach a school actually uses will depend partly on COVID-19 transmission rates within their county. If there are fewer cases of COVID-19, schools can go back to in-person learning. As rates rise, schools will need to switch over to hybrid or distance learning.

Even when MPS is able to have in-person learning, it won’t be completely back to normal, said Park Side Elementary principal Darci Love. “There are safety practices we will have to have in place,” like students and staff wearing face coverings, and limits on the number of visitors and volunteers at schools, she said.

In the hybrid learning model, schools will need to have all those safety measures in place, plus strict social distancing rules. School buildings and buses would need to be at 50% occupancy, principals said. That means students would only be able to spend part of the week in the classroom.

“The hybrid piece is going to have a lot of moving parts,” said West Side Elementary Principal Peter Thor.

Marshall Middle School Principal Mary Kay Thomas said the plan is for MPS students in kindergarten through fourth grade to spend four days a week in class, and one day doing distance learning. Middle and high school students would spend three days a week in class, and two doing distance learning. Students would be broken up into groups, with each group having its own consistent schedule.

MATEC, on the other hand, has a small enough student body that students can socially distance and have in-person learning five days a week, Thomas said.

Principals said the school district would work to help make sure students in the same household have the same schedules. However, MPS will also need to find ways to make meals and child care options available for families on days when students aren’t physically in class.

Distance learning options will also be available for students who aren’t able or willing to return to in-person classes, Thomas said. Parents of students who need or want to learn at home will need to contact their school offices by Aug. 14.

Thor said MPS will also be working with families of students with special education needs. Case managers are being asked to contact families before school starts to discuss accommodations for their children.

Adjusting to the new school plans will take involvement from families, especially where transportation is concerned, MPS administrators said. If school buses need to stay at 50% of their occupancy, “We’re going to need some help from families to get (students) here,” Williams said.

Williams said about 63% of parents who responded to a survey from MPS said they would be able to transport their children to school all the time.

MPS staff also outlined some of the additional safety measures schools will be taking in the coming year. Business services director Dion Caron said MPS will be providing cloth masks to staff and students, and is trying to get face shields for students who might not be able to wear masks. Daily cleaning and increased circulation of fresh air into school buildings will also be important for COVID-19 prevention, he said. To avoid crowding in common areas, the middle and high schools will likely stop using lockers this year, school principals said. At MMS, students in different grades can use different building entrances to cut down on crowds at the main entrance.

Some pieces of the puzzle — like how schools will handle sports and activities — haven’t been finalized yet, administrators said. MHS principal Brian Jones said the Minnesota State High School League will be releasing guidance for schools today. Jones said MPS will also be hearing from the Big South Conference on Wednesday.