School is back for the spring. For the first time since the pandemic began, some local middle and high school students are or will soon be back at school full-time. “You could tell people were excited to be back,” St. Charles School District Superintendent Jeff Apse said about his district’s recent full reopening for seventh through 12th graders. “But it also carries with it that newness you have on the first day of school, that traditional first day of school in September.” The shifts come in response to updated guidance that Minnesota released earlier this month encouraging middle and high schools to implement hybrid or in-person learning as long as they can put certain COVID-19 protocols in place. The St. Charles School District has begun in-person learning for secondary students, and Lewiston-Altura School District plans to do so later this month. Winona Area Public Schools (WAPS)