Minnesota’s two largest school districts have already announced plans to welcome their youngest learners back to the classroom early next year, and other districts are scrambling to finalize their return-to-in-person plans. St. Paul Public Schools has been in almost full distance learning mode since Gov. Tim Walz ordered schools to close their buildings in March. Now, the district is planning to allow all pre-kindergarten through second-grade students to return to full-time in-person learning starting Monday, Feb. 1. Two weeks later, district schools will also open their doors to third, fourth and fifth grade students for full-time in-person learning. “It is not going to be without work. We’re going to need to communicate and work once again in new and different ways,” Joe Gothard, the district’s superintendent, said in a video announcement posted on the district’s website.