Pine River-Backus and Pequot Lakes see little change thanks to hybrid model 3:00 am, Jan. 7, 2021 × High school winter sports teams and fine arts activities were allowed to start practices Monday, Jan. 4, and two area school districts are getting more students back into the classroom after a November rise in COVID-19 cases sent many students home to learn. Pine River-Backus back to pre-Thanksgiving schedule Pine River-Backus School District is more fortunate than some area schools in that the district has been able to keep elementary school students in the physical classroom this whole school year. As a result, as of Jan. 4 the district was able to resume the model it operated under until a rise in area COVID-19 cases sent the few in-school high school students home to learn.