GF schools are open for business

It’s back to school for most students in the Grand Forks district.  Grades K-9 hits the books today for the start of the 2021-22 school year.  Students in grades 10…11…and 12 return to the classroom tomorrow (Thursday).

Just like the end of the last school year students and staff will be required to mask up in buildings due to increasing case counts of COVID-19 in the community.  The face covering requirement was adopted by the school board last week.

Superintendent Terry Brenner says the goal this year is to keep all 7,400 students in school.  “We hope to see an uptick.  We had some parents who homeschooled last year because of the environment.  We are starting to see some of those families trickling back in.  We will see where we land after the first week of school.”

The district’s demographer projects enrollment to top 7,500 by 2025.  Elementary and high school numbers are projected to climb – while middle school numbers are expected to fall slightly.