What happens if teachers strike in Minneapolis and St. Paul

Parents in Minneapolis and St. Paul are bracing for the possibility of a teachers' strike starting early next week.

Driving the news: Contract talks between districts and teachers' unions in both cities remain at an impasse, as a March 8 work stoppage deadline set by the unions looms.

The dispute, in brief: Teachers' unions are pushing for better pay and commitments on class sizes and mental health support, among other issues.

• District leaders have countered that the proposals are too expensive in the context of declining enrollment.

What to expect: If teachers strike, classes will be canceled, starting Tuesday. There will be no online instruction, but some school services will still be available.

🧒 Child care: Minneapolis will have "extremely limited" openings for children in fifth grade and below, per the district's FAQ for parents. St. Paul will offer some supervision starting Wednesday; slots will depend on staffing.

Of note: MPS recommends working parents set up backup coverage now, as the school slots "are intended for families who have no other child supervision option."

🍎 Meals: Schools in both Minneapolis and St. Paul will continue to distribute free meals. Locations will be released at a later date.

📱 St. Paul students can keep their school-issued iPads, distributed for distance learning purposes. While there's no formal instruction, the district will continue to provide, access to standards-based academic activities online.

⚾ Sports: Varsity sports practices will still be held after school in Minneapolis. JV schedules will vary by team.

• In St. Paul, varsity teams will play on a case-by-case basis and lower level practices will be postponed.

🎭 All other after-school activities would be canceled in both cities.

👩‍⚕️ Health: St. Paul anticipates that there will be no health care staff on site at its Kid Space program.

• Regular school nurses in Minneapolis will also not be working, but School-Based Clinics run out of high schools by the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County/NorthPoint will be open.

🧠 Mental health: Minneapolis school-based mental health therapy services will continue.

📅 School calendar: Depending on a strike's length, the school year could be extended in either city to make up for lost classroom time.

What's next: Talks are scheduled throughout the weekend. If no deal is reached, a strike announcement will be made on Monday night.