Early this afternoon, Head of School Bryn Roberts sent out an email to the St. Paul Academy and Summit School community informing families of a return to a five day in-person schedule next year.

In the email Roberts said, “With the end of the academic year in sight, we are working to organize the activities of May and June and we are planning for the new school year in the fall. We plan to open the 2021-22 school year, which begins at the end of August, with students in all divisions attending in-person classes on campus five days per week. Some of our COVID mitigation measures will still be in place in the fall, and we will keep you apprised of our evolving plans over the summer. I know that we all look forward to a return to our five-day week and the sense of normalcy and consistency that will come with the resumption of our school schedule as we knew it before the pandemic.”

While this change is not yet set in stone, Roberts is optimistic for the change back if the community continues to follow protocols and stay vigilant. Roberts said, “There are good reasons to be hopeful as we look ahead, including the successful rollout of the vaccine in Minnesota and a general sense of optimism that the worst of the pandemic is behind us. In our optimism, however, we cannot let our guard down: COVID is still with us, and it is critical that we continue to observe the protocols and policies that have served us so well this year.”

SPA’s decision has come after serious consultation with Medical Director Paul Anderson who has been working closely with the administration.