MINNEOTA — Plans for going back to class have been shifting for the Minneota School District over the past couple of weeks, and on Monday the district announced a couple of new changes. Instead of going back to school today with in-person learning, kids in elementary school grades will be using a hybrid learning model. Students in grades 7-12 will be starting the year with distance learning on Thursday.

The changes were because of recent increases in COVID-19 cases in the area, said Minneota Superintendent Dan Deitte.

“We were in an all-in situation before,” Deitte said Monday. However, the numbers of people testing positive for COVID-19 in Lyon County were going up to the point where state guidance was against having in-person learning for all students.

Minneota had already postponed the start of school to Sept. 1, because a school district staff member had tested positive for COVID-19. Delaying the first day of school would give exposed staff and school administrators time to quarantine, Deitte said last week.

For Minneota elementary school students, a hybrid learning model will still mean coming to school in person starting today. However, there will be additional social distancing measures being used, like spacing desks out, Deitte said.

Students in grades 7-12 will be starting school a couple days later, and using distance learning instead of coming to class in person. Deitte said the delay is meant to give teachers and school staff some prep time.

“We need a couple days to transition in,” he said.

Although they won’t be physically in school, school meals will be available for Minneota junior and senior high students to pick up starting today at 11 a.m. A lunch and a breakfast for the next morning will be packed together, Deitte said.

Minneota isn’t the only area school that has had to delay the start of class because of COVID-19. Deitte said Lincoln Elementary in Ivanhoe has also postponed the first day of school until Sept. 8, because of a school staff member testing positive for COVID-19. The plan is for classes at Lincoln Elementary to start in-person next week, he said.