Tuesday School Cancellations Will Be Up to Individual Districts

At some point Monday, Northfield Public Schools will decide whether to stay closed on Tuesday due to the serious cold snap hitting the state.

On Friday, Gov. Mark Dayton ordered that public schools be closed statewide Monday. The Minnesota Department of Education officially announced Monday morning that all school districts would be able to decide whether to remain closed on Tuesday.

Minneapolis Public Schools has already made the decision to stay closed Tuesday. Forecasters predict Tuesday’s high will be -1 degrees Fahrenheit, with wind chill values as low as -35 degrees. 

The following is the message Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius shared with school districts:

Dear Superintendents and Charter School Directors,

Tomorrow morning’s temperatures are forecasted to be in the double digits below zero again, with continued windchill advisories for the entire state until afternoon.

Governor Dayton is leaving the decision about school cancellations for Tuesday to individual school districts. We believe school superintendents are monitoring the temperatures closely and are prepared to communicate with families so they can plan accordingly. 

We encourage you, as always, to be mindful about the dangers of even brief exposure to these dangerously low temperatures as you make your decisions.

I am grateful for your efforts on behalf of Minnesota children, not only during this challenging week, but every day.

Brenda Cassellius 

Northfield Patch will update readers when the district has made a decision about Tuesday.