With the first day of school rapidly approaching, officials at Carlton County schools are finalizing their plans for students.

Here's a rundown of what local school districts are planning for the coming school year as of right now.

Administrators at every school emphasized that the plans are subject to change depending on how the COVID-19 pandemic goes throughout the school year.

Barnum Public School District

Plan for elementary school: Full in-person learning

Plan for middle and high school: Full in-person learning

Safety measures in place: The school will follow the guidelines set by the Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Department of Education, said Lisa Riihiluoma, the district administrator's assistant. She said masks will be worn by everyone at all times; there will be social distancing in large settings; and students will not be allowed to socialize before school. Students and staff will use good hygiene practices, per MDH and MDE. The final school plan is still being worked out, Riihiluoma said.

Technology available to students who use distance learning: Riihiluoma said all students will receive iPads before classes start Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Options for families without internet at home or who do not have reception via mobile hotspots at their homes (for distance learning): Riihiluoma said there was a small demand for hotspots for distance learning in the spring. The district purchased hotspots for students who need one at home for the 2020-21 school year.

Carlton Public School District

Plan for elementary school: Full in-person learning

Plan for middle and high school: Full in-person learning

Safety measures in place: Superintendent John Engstrom said the district will follow MDH guidelines and monitor the 14-day average of cases per 10,000 residents to determine if the learning model should be changed. The current rate is 4.5 cases per 10,000 residents, but if the rate spikes to more than 9 cases per 10,000, elementary school students would remain in school, while secondary students would move to a hybrid model. If the rate jumps to more than 50 cases per 10,000 residents, all Carlton students would move to distance learning.

The Carlton School Board approved a policy requiring face coverings for students, staff and community members who enter school buildings for the 2020-21 school year during its meeting Monday, Aug. 17. The action is consistent with the mandate Gov. Tim Walz issued earlier this summer.

Technology available to students who use distance learning: Carlton purchased 100 new Google Chromebooks to ensure that every student, even those in grades K-2, have access to a device.

Options for families without internet at home or who do not have reception via mobile hotspots at their homes (for distance learning): Carlton is also purchasing additional hotspots and is exploring other options if students do not have internet access. The district has considered bringing students who do not have internet access into the building, but nothing definitive has been decided, according to Engstrom.

Cloquet Public School District

Plan for elementary school: Full in-person learning

Plan for middle and high school: Full in-person learning

Safety measures in place: Cloquet School District is following the safety plan set in place by MDH and MDE, according to Superintendent Michael Cary. Per MDH and MDE guidelines, students and staff will be required to wear masks in the building and on buses for in-person learning and the hybrid learning model, according to the learning model document posted to the school website.

Schools will use pre-packaged meals, EPA approved disinfectant for COVID-19 and provide visual reminders for everyone to maintain social distancing when possible, according to the document. The current rate of COVID-19 infection as of Thursday, Aug. 20 is 7.60 per 10,000 residents in Carlton County.

In-person learning can continue unless the number rises above 9, according to the MDH document. At that point, secondary students would need to switch to the hybrid learning model, while elementary students would continue in-person learning until the COVID-19 case rate is 10 to less than 20 per 10,0000 residents.

Elementary and secondary students would need to move to a hybrid model if the case rate is at least 20 but less than 30 per 10,000 residents.

Should the case rate rise to 30 cases per 10,000 residents, but remain less than 50, elementary students would stay at the hybrid model and secondary students would move to distance learning.

If the 14-day case rate per 10,000 people reaches 50 or more, both levels will move to the distance learning model, according to the MDH document .

Technology available to students who use distance learning: iPads will be provided to elementary and middle school students, said Cary. He added that high school students have been provided with Chromebooks.

Options for families without internet at home or who do not have reception via mobile hotspots at their homes (for distance learning): The school purchased hotspots for students who need them.

"Our tech team is working to provide high speed internet to families choosing the distance learning option," Cary said. "Hotspots are one way we are looking to achieve that goal."

Cromwell-Wright Public School District

Plan for elementary school: School will open with what officials are calling a hybrid learning model. According to the plan on the school website, all students will be in the building five days a week, but classrooms and buses will be at 50% capacity and there will be 6 feet of social distance in the building. Due to building size and smaller number of students in the district, there is enough space to allow for the school to meet the hybrid requirements laid out by the state, the school plan said.

Plan for middle and high school: Hybrid learning model as described above.

Safety measures in place: The school district is following the safety guidelines set by MDE. This includes wearing masks, social distancing and cleaning the school daily, according to the plan.

Technology available to students who use distance learning: Chromebooks will be provided for all students, according to Superintendent/principal Nathan Libbon.

Options for families without internet at home or who do not have reception via mobile hotspots at their homes (for distance learning): Libbon said officials are still working on the best way to provide internet to families who are distance learning. He said there is no one good answer that works for everyone.

Esko Public School District

Plan for elementary school: Full in-person learning

Plan for middle and high school: Hybrid learning model

Safety measures in place: The district is following MDH and MDE guidelines, said Superintendent Aaron Fischer. That includes enhanced cleaning, box lunches for students, as well as good hygiene practices. He said elementary students will not be allowed on the playground in the morning before school starts. The school plan is posted to the district website .

Technology available to students who use distance learning: Fischer said iPads have been provided to students in grades three through 12. The district is bringing a plan to the school board at its regular meeting Tuesday, Aug. 25 to provide iPads for students in kindergarten through second grade.

Options for families without internet at home or who do not have reception via mobile hotspots at their homes (for distance learning): The school district purchased 40 hotspots for families who need them based on the demand from spring distance learning, said Fischer. Families can contact principals Brian Harker or Greg Hexum, or the school technology coordinator Angie Orvedahl-Jalonen for more information.

Fond du Lac Ojibwe School

Plan for elementary school: Distance learning only

Plan for middle and high school: Distance learning only

Safety measures in place: Principal Valerie Tanner said the school will continue to deliver lunches to students. She said all public school events have been canceled until further notice. Families and students can follow the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School, Cloquet, MN Facebook page for more information and updates.

Technology available to students who use distance learning: All students will receive Chromebooks, Tanner said.

Options for families without internet at home or who do not have reception via mobile hotspots at their homes (for distance learning): Tanner said families can contact their student's teacher for a hotspot. She said the school has a team reaching out and working with families who don't have internet access.

Moose Lake Public School District

Plan for elementary school: Full in-person learning

Plan for middle and high school: Full in-person learning

Safety measures in place: Superintendent Billie Jo Steen said the school will be following the in-person and hybrid guidelines set out by Walz. A letter explaining the guidelines was sent to families and is posted on the school website. According to the letter, the building will be cleaned daily with high touch areas cleaned several times a day. All students and staff will be required to wear masks when they are indoors. Students and staff are expected to use good hygiene practices. More information can be found on the district website.

Technology available to students who use distance learning: Steen said all students have been provided with Chromebooks.

Options for families without internet at home or who do not have reception via mobile hotspots at their homes (for distance learning): Officials are currently looking at mobile hotspot options for families for distance learning. Steen said there is a test posted to the school's Facebook page for families to test the strength of the internet at their home. Less than 10% of the district's students will be utilizing distance learning, Steen said.

Northern Lights Academy Cooperative

Plan for elementary school: Full in-person learning

Plan for middle school: Full in-person learning

Safety measures in place: Social distancing will be in place; students and staff will be asked to wear face coverings; and staff and students will be screened for symptoms, including temperature checks, when they enter the building, said Dena Hagen, director of special education for the Northern Lights Special Education Cooperative. Students will also eat lunch in their classrooms and be grouped in small cohorts. Handwashing and best practices for hygiene will also be utilized, per state guidelines. The school also has a process in place in case someone tests positive for COVID-19.

Technology available to students who use distance learning: Chromebooks for all students, which is new this year, Hagen said.

Options for families without internet at home or who do not have reception via mobile hotspots at their homes (for distance learning): The school has mobile hotspots for families to use at home, Hagen said.

Queen of Peace Catholic School

Plan for elementary school: Full in-person learning

Plan for middle school: Full in-person learning

Safety measures in place: Social distancing will be in place; students and staff will wear masks indoors and undergo health checks; and frequent handwashing and best practices for hygiene will be used per state guidelines, said David Douglas, principal. The school receives its guidance from the state, as well as the diocese of greater Minnesota, which includes Crookston, Duluth, New Ulm, St. Cloud and Winona-Rochester, Douglas said.

The school also has a plan in place should someone in the building test positive for COVID-19, he said.

Technology available to students who use distance learning: Limited capacity of laptops available for students. The school was able to meet the needs of families who did not have computers at home for distance learning in the spring, Douglas said. For the coming school year, no families have opted for distance learning, he said.

Options for families without internet at home or who do not have reception via mobile hotspots at their homes (for distance learning): The school plans to increase the technology available for teachers and students using CARES Act funding, including mobile hotspots, cameras for teachers to record lessons, software subscriptions and more, Douglas said.

Wrenshall Public School District

Plan for elementary school: Hybrid learning model. According to the plan posted to the school website, students in kindergarten through sixth grade will be on site either Monday and Tuesday, or Thursday and Friday each week from 8:20 a.m to 1:30 p.m.

Plan for middle and high school: Hybrid learning model. Students in grades seven through 12 will participate in distance learning on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for the first quarter of the school year, the school plan said. Students will be required to be on site at school every other Wednesday for a regular school day. The school day will begin at 8:20 a.m.

Safety measures in place: Students and staff are expected to wear face masks in indoor spaces, including district buildings and transportation vehicles, according to the plan. Playgrounds will be cleaned daily, and students will wash their hands before and after playground use.

With the hybrid learning model, the cafeteria will be closed, the plan said. Breakfast and lunch will be pre-packaged and served to students in classrooms. The school plan is posted to the district website.

Technology available to students who use distance learning: All students will be provided with a Chromebook.

Options for families without internet at home or who do not have reception via mobile hotspots at their homes (for distance learning): Superintendent Kim Belcastro said the school district will provide hotspots for students who need it.

This story was updated at 11:18 a.m. Aug. 26 to reflect changes to the Esko School District's learning plan. It was originally posted at 7 a.m. on Aug. 26.