Two Northern Minnesota school districts are canceling part of their school week as their girls basketball teams head to the state tournament.
Walker-Hackensack-Akeley is calling off school Thursday and Friday, March 13-14, and Rock Ridge is canceling classes Wednesday and Thursday.
The Wolves are making a repeat appearance after qualifying for their first-ever last year. WHA said it is canceling "because of this historic event and other logistical items."
"The main reason is staffing. ... We will be short staff because of all the connections to our team. In addition, we also do not have enough subs to facilitate school during the day either," the district announced.
"Another factor in the decision is the accomplishment of making it to state itself. Not many teams get to experience this, and for our communities, it's a sense of pride."
The days will not need to be made up.
Rock Ridge was also concerned with staffing levels, as the local youth hockey Bantam A and Peewee A teams also advanced to their state tournaments.
The School Board thoroughly debated whether or not to close and what days to close at its meeting Monday, spending over a half-hour discussing the merits of either side.
Parkview second graders have had tickets to a Thursday show at the Reif Center since September. The $720 price of tickets was paid for by the Parent Teacher Association and is nonrefundable. An orchestra concert scheduled for Thursday was postponed until March 25.
Two motions for alternative school closure plans failed, before the final passed 4-2.
Rock Ridge also canceled school for the girls basketball and youth hockey tournaments last year.
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Freewill donations collected at the event will support grief support services at Essentia-St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd. -
Two systems bringing snow to Northern Minnesota Dec. 8-10, 2025, will bring at least a few inches to nearly everyone, with somewhere in the Arrowhead getting dumped on. -
Plus: Demolition work is underway to make room for new construction in Bemidji's blighted rail corridor; Anderson Brothers Construction in Brainerd can once again bid on government contracts; and Essentia Health St. Joseph's will host its annual Tree of Life memorial service on Dec. 16.
