East central Minnesota districts prepare for start of school year

With Tuesday marking the first day of the school year in east central Minnesota, districts are preparing to welcome students back to the classroom.

Here's a quick look at some things you might want to brush up on before the bell:

Bell-to-bell, no cell policies in Pine City, East Central schools

Both the Pine City and East Central school districts have implemented bell-to-bell policies requiring students to not have access to cell phones, smart watches, and ear buds.

Pine City School Board member Becci Palmblade said the district's policy was more than a year in the making, with teachers advocating for putting a framework in place.

"We hope that this policy doesn't cause frustration and anxiety and concern, and if it does, please reach out and we can answer whatever questions you might have," Palmblade said. "There's probably an answer for any issue that you can think of. We've tried to think of it all."

To read more about the Pine City School District's cell phone policy, check out this interview with Palmblade and Pine City Elementary School principal Sarah Kloeckl.

Increased law enforcement presence in Pine County

Pine County Sheriff Jeff Nelson said that there will be an increased law enforcement presence at each of the county’s schools on the first day in the wake of Wednesday’s fatal school shooting in Minneapolis.

"We have trained on active shooter situations every year for the past several years, so we do have plans, we do have the SROs [school resource officers], at least a presence in all of the schools in the county, so again we have a plan on how best to deal with those situations," Nelson said.

Nelson reassured residents that if they see multiple squad cars, it doesn't mean there is an incident.

"We've talked to the school districts and let them know that we're going to staff it up a little more, just to make people feel comfortable about coming in and being there," he said.

Construction ongoing near Mora Schools

Mora superintendent Dan Voce cautioned residents to give themselves a little extra time getting to and from the campus due to Maple Avenue road construction.

"Some of the streets aren't open, so you have to go around that," he said. "I believe Grove Street will be opened back up, and that's the road that kind of leads to the high school and elementary school.

Voce said staying patient and finding alternative routes during construction will help alleviate traffic concerns.

Flight 707 in effect for third year in Braham

In Braham, superintendent Ken Gagner said the Flight 707 program will be in effect for the third year.

"School in Braham typically starts at 8 a.m.," Gagner said. "But every Monday, we start an hour later."

Braham teachers start Monday at 7:07 a.m. (hence the thematic initiative moniker for the Braham Bombers) for an extra hour of prep time to help improve students’ academic performance.

Gagner said no instructional time is lost due to the program.

"That's kind of what makes the program unique," he said. "The kids are getting the same amount of in-class instruction this year as they did five years ago."