La Crosse schools say COVID risk is too high to resume in-person classes now

No in-person classes for La Crosse public school students until January. 

That decision was announced this week, as the pandemic continues to surge in Wisconsin. 

Superintendent Aaron Engel said the risk of infection remains too great to bring students back to school in mid-November, as planned. 

“Case rates have never been higher in our community right now,” said Engel, adding, “it would be a significant risk to students, families, and our staff if we were back in person.”

But Engel added Thursday on La Crosse Talk PM that teachers have become quite creative in finding ways to run classes on-line, saying some teachers “have really figured out how to do smaller group activities, to engage in discussion.”  

and he said the continued delays are partly a failure of the state and federal governments to provide aid to communities and families during the pandemic. 

Jan. 18, the start of second semester, is now the day when in-person classes could resume in La Crosse schools.