In response to rising concerns over increased federal immigration activity in the Twin Cities, Minnesota’s second-largest school district has announced a temporary virtual learning alternative for its students. This decision comes from Saint Paul Public Schools, aiming to provide a safer option for students who may feel uneasy about attending classes in person.

The virtual learning program is set to commence on January 22. Families will receive an email on Thursday containing a registration link to enroll their children in this remote learning option.

To facilitate this transition, the district has scheduled a pause in classes on January 20 and 21. This break will be in addition to the already planned closure on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Recently, a student rally was held at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul on January 14, 2026, where participants protested against federal immigration enforcement. The event highlighted the community’s concerns and underscored the district’s decision to offer virtual learning. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Students gather during a school walkout to protest federal immigration enforcement at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, Jan. 14, 2026. (Stephen Maturen/Getty)

In the lead-up to the district’s decision to offer a temporary virtual learning option, student attendance plummeted, particularly among students who speak Spanish at home, according to data shared with MinnPost. 

On Jan. 9, two days after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during a federal enforcement operation in Minneapolis, 51% of students whose home language is Spanish did not show up to school, the outlet reported.

Superintendent Dr. Stacie Stanley said in a YouTube video posted Wednesday on the Saint Paul Public Schools website that over the past several days, she received hundreds of messages about offering a temporary virtual learning option amid ICE operations in the state.

Community members confront federal agents after an immigration raid that resulted in detentions and followed the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jan. 13, 2026. (Tim Evans/Reuters)

“Our goal is to ensure that all students can stay connected to the school whether that is in-person or virtually,” she told parents.

Stanley did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on what criteria would be used to determine when the virtual learning option would end.

Minneapolis Public Schools initially canceled classes on Jan. 8–9 after the shooting death of Good, but said in-person learning at all buildings resumed on Monday.

High school students gather for an anti-ICE protest outside the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, Jan. 14, 2026. (Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images)

Both school districts’ decisions to offer virtual learning come amid lingering concerns among educators and parents about academic setbacks and mental health challenges linked to prolonged remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saint Paul Public Schools hasn’t specified how long its temporary virtual option will last, while Minneapolis Public Schools has set a Feb. 12 end date for its own online option.